The Chennai Super Kings has bought English all-rounder Ben Stokes for Rs 16.25 crore, during the mini-auction for the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in Kochi on December 23.
A base price of Rs 2 crore was fixed for Stokes before the bidding went underway.
Fresh from winning the T20 World Cup and a 3-0 clean sweep in Pakistan, in the recently-concluded Test series that he captained, veteran Stokes brings bags of experience and a winning mentality to the table.
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As an all-rounder, Stokes will also be worth his weight in gold. But what he brings over some of the other foreign players is a track record of playing in the IPL for a significant amount of time.
His stats in 2022 don't do justice to the impact he's had for England in the T20s, as he played a major role in England winning the T20 World Cup with a match-winning 50 against Pakistan in the final.
More than just his brilliance with the bat and on the field -- and his useful medium-pace bowling -- Stokes will also bring his leadership skills to the fore for teams looking to recruit a player who is a captain's material.
Plus, the 31-year-old Englishman still has the X factor that he is famous for, which can alter the course of a match in a matter of minutes.
IPL Career: Matches: 43, Runs: 920, Strike Rate: 134.50, HS: 107*, Wickets: 28, Economy Rate: 8.55
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