Big Blow for Chennai Super Kings Ahead of the IPL

SwapneelDeshpande

 By Swapneel Deshpande March 28, 2023

Chennai Super Kings star all rounder Ben Stokes would play as a specialist batter for the side in the initial few matches. According to ESPNcricinfo, he received a cortisone injection to treat a left knee injury.

He has always struggled with left knee problems, but on England’s last tour to New Zealand, he experienced a flare-up, delivering just nine overs over two Test matches and batting on the final day of the series in Wellington while obviously in pain.

By the end of the trip, Stokes acknowledged that the injury had been “extremely disappointing,” but he added that the IPL will give him a chance to “get myself into a position that I feel like I don’t have to worry about my knee anymore” before the Ashes this summer, which begin on June 16.

Mike Hussey speaks about his injury

“My understanding is he’s ready to go as a batsman from the start,” Mike Hussey, Super Kings’ batting coach, told ESPNcricinfo and PA news. “The bowling might be waiting and see. I know he had his first very light bowl yesterday [Sunday] since he had his injections in his knee.

“The physios from Chennai and the ECB are working pretty closely together. My understanding is he won’t be bowling much at all in the first few games of the tournament… it might be a few weeks. I’m not 100% sure, [but we will] hopefully get him bowling at some stage in the tournament.”

Hussey talked about his excitement about the Ashes and jokingly said that the batter would bowl 20-30 overs in the nets during the IPL. 

“From an Australian perspective, I’m going to hope he bowls 20 or 30 overs in the nets,” Hussey said, laughing. “We’ll be running him into the ground and I’ll be making sure he does extra weight sessions and run-throughs to put as much pressure on that body… I’m joking, obviously.

“I want a fit Ben Stokes playing his best cricket at the Ashes. This franchise is very professional, works very closely with all the national boards, and I know our physio has already been working with the ECB physios. I want to see his best cricket at the Ashes; I want both teams at their best, going hard at it, and I think it will be an unbelievable series to watch.”

Stokes, who became the most expensive acquisition of Chennai Super Kings in an auction for INR 16.25 crore (roughly US$ 1.9 million at the time), arrived in India last week and has been practicing with his new teammates in preparation for their season opener against the Gujarat Titans on Friday night in Ahmedabad.

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