Veteran India cricketer Ajinkya Rahane is all set to start a new journey in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with his new franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 31, Friday. The 34-year-old kicks off the season for the first time under the captaincy of the legendary India captain MS Dhoni. Ahead of the CSK vs GT, IPL 2023 opener, Rahane spoke to reporters during the pre-match press conference and made several notable revelations.
The Test specialist was asked to share his thoughts on English Test captain Ben Stokes’ role in the MS Dhoni-led team. Stokes was roped in by CSK for a whopping INR 16.25 crore in the IPL 2023 Auction, which soon sparked speculations that Dhoni will hand over CSK’s captaincy to the star English all-rounder. At the same time, his role in the team became talking point for fans after the team’s batting coach Mike Hussey confirmed that Stokes will feature as a specialist batsman early in IPL 2023.
“It’s completely in Mahi bhai’s mind”
Meanwhile, a day ahead of the IPL 2023 opener, Rahane was asked if Stokes will feature in the squad as an all-rounder or a specialist batsman against Gujarat Titans. “You will see that tomorrow how Mahi bhai uses him. It’s completely in Mahi bhai’s mind. He will use him really well,” Rahane said. While Hussey hinted that Stokes might start bowling in the later half of the tournament, media reports confirmed that he had taken injection in his left knee due to his injury.Earlier this month, Ben Stokes admitted that he was very frustrated with the injury towards the end of England’s tour of New Zealand 2023. However, he wanted to give IPL a chance so that he can put himself in a position where he doesn’t need to worry about his knee. His injury also comes as a concern for the English Test team, who will face Australia in the prestigious Ashes series, starting from the second week of June.
