In the IPL 2023 players’ mini-auction, which took place in Kochi on Friday (December 23), four-time champions Chennai Super Kings managed to secure the services of star English all-rounder Ben Stokes. The Chennai-based team, which finished at the second-last position in the IPL 2022, splashed out Rs. 16.25 crore to secure the services of England Test captain Stokes, who played a big role in helping them win the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 title in Australia last month. The 31-year-old left-handed batter scored his maiden T20I fifty in the summit clash against Pakistan on November 13 to help the Three Lions beat Pakistan by five wickets.
MS Dhoni-led CSK went all-out for Stokes at the auction table after they failed to secure Sam Curran’s services. They were engaged in an intense battle with the Lucknow Super Giants but managed to seal the deal.
After Stokes was signed by CSK, many wondered whether he was signed to replace MS Dhoni as the team’s captain in the future. And after the end of the auction, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanath cleared the air around the captaincy and also revealed the former Indian skipper’s reaction to Stokes joining the team.
“Very excited to get Stokes, and we were lucky also because he came up at the end. We wanted an all-rounder, and MS was very happy that we got Stokes. The captaincy option is there, but it’s a call MS will take with time. Kyle Jamieson was injured, so maybe many others didn’t look at him. We had information from Fleming that he had recovered and was raring to go. CSK looks bright, and I hope we do well this season. We follow the process always, and that will help us do well,” he was quoted by ESPNCricinfo.
Stokes has shared the dressing room with Dhoni previously during the 2017 season of the IPL, when both of them were part of the Rising Pune Supergiant.
