Ben Stokes, IPL 2023: MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings took a big blow ahead of the Indian Premier and the dark clouds loom over the CSK camp, if Ben Stokes is playing or not as he suffered a knee injury in the recently concluded series between England and New Zealand.
Ben Stokes has faced a left knee injury during the second test match as the allrounder bowled only two overs in the match. The 31-year-old English Test Captain was the most expensive player in the auction who was bought by CSK for 16.25 Crores.
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3 Options for CSK if Ben Stokes miss out
1. Jimmy Neesham
A New Zealand all-rounder can replace Ben Stokes. Neesham previously played for the Rajasthan Royals in the last season, where he scored 31 runs in two games with a strike rate of 114+. Although he was dropped from the team, Neesham is similar to Stokes as a medium-pace all-rounder.
Jimmy Neesham has represented the New Zealand national team regularly, playing in 71 ODIs and 60 T20Is. He has accumulated 1409 and 688 runs in the respective formats, while also securing 69 ODI wickets and 25 T20I wickets.
2. Dasun Shanaka
Another potential replacement for Ben Stokes in IPL 2023 is Dasun Shanaka, a Sri Lankan all-rounder who currently serves as the team’s captain in white-ball cricket. Despite not having any prior IPL experience, Shanaka was available in the auction with a base price of Rs. 50 lakh, but he went unsold.
However, Shanaka showcased an impressive performance in the T20I series against India just last month. He recorded a total of 124 runs across three games, while also securing two wickets and maintaining an economy rate of just 4.0. With these accomplishments, he has demonstrated his capability as a reliable all-rounder on Indian grounds, which could make him a valuable addition to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad for IPL 2023.
3. Wayne Parnell
Wayne Parnell is a potential replacement for Ben Stokes in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad for IPL 2023. Like Stokes, Parnell is a medium-pace all-rounder. He has already played in 26 IPL games, scoring 63 runs in 16 innings and taking 26 wickets with an economy rate of 7.35.
Despite having a base price of Rs. 75 lakhs in the IPL 2023 auction, Parnell went unsold. However, he has showcased impressive performances in T20Is for the South African team. Across 53 matches, he has taken 57 wickets while scoring 168 runs in 21 innings, with an unbeaten record in 13 games. This proves his capabilities as an all-rounder, and he could potentially make a valuable addition to the CSK squad for IPL 2023.
These three players could be a great option as it is still uncertain if Ben stokes is playing IPL or not.
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