Ben Stokes is sure to be one of the most sought after players come 2023 IPL mini auction. His skills as both batsman & bowler and leadership qualities undoubtedly make him an essential part of any team, but his availability for the entire tournament may be limited due to his obligations with his national side.
England’s Test skipper has been a fearless leader. The franchises that pick him may hope to give him that extra responsibility. In spite of Stokes not finding much success in the IPL, it is likely that the all-rounder will be in huge demand in the mini-auctions. Stokes has already gone for big bucks during the IPL auctions in the past. The situation may not change this time around either.
Also Read: IPL 2023 Replacement Players List Revealed – Who’s In and Who’s Out?
Three teams may go to any lengths to get Ben Stokes in the IPL 2023 auction:
CSK (Chennai Super Kings)
Among the teams needing an overseas all-rounder going into the IPL auction are the Chennai Super Kings. After releasing long-time player and overseas-pro Dwayne Bravo, the franchise announced his retirement and appointed Bravo as bowling coach for CSK. Since Bravo left the IPL, a position as an all-rounder has become vacant, and CSK will be desperate to fill the void left by Bravo’s departure.
In addition, they lack a middle-order overseas batter who can make an impact and enforce with the ball in the middle overs. There is no one better to replace Bravo than Ben Stokes, and CSK has 20 crores to spend, so they will likely be among the teams bidding for his services.
RR (Rajasthan Royals)
While playing in this lucrative tournament recently, Ben Stokes was part of the Rajasthan Royals franchise. Despite scoring a century in the 2020 edition for the team, Stokes wasn’t a regular player for the team due to his personal commitments and played only 1 game in 2021. After opting out of the mega auctions that followed, he is now part of the auction pool again.
It would be great to have Ben Stokes back, and this addition will make the 2022 runners-up even stronger than they were already. The Royals have a top-heavy batting line-up, and the concern they faced in the last IPL is their middle-order batting.
Hyderabad Sunrisers (SRH)
In the upcoming IPL auctions, Sunrises Hyderabad is expected to be one of the busiest teams and will be keeping an eye on Ben Stokes, one of the most talismanic all-rounders on the planet. Their overseas personnel has been cut back as a result of releasing two overseas players, Nicholas Pooran and Kane Williamson, ahead of the auctions.
SRH will go into the auction with a huge purse, and it will not be surprising to see them sign Ben Stokes as their player for next season.
