English all-rounder Ben Stokes, who guided England to their maiden ICC World Cup trophy in July 2019, is all set to join his Indian Premier League side Rajasthan Royals after missing out on the first two weeks of the cash-rich tournament, the team revealed on Saturday.
Rajasthan Royal made the announcement of Ben Stokes arrival via Twitter and posted a cheeky message for fans to interpret. The franchise for Rajasthan teased fans with the knowledge of Stokes arrival and wrote on Twitter, “How long does it take from Christchurch to UAE (United Arab Emirates.)?”
The Rajasthan team, which last won the IPL in 2008, then posted a picture of Stokes indicating his arrival in Dubai.
The Rajasthan Royals side played Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first match of the Saturday and was defeated by Team Kohli. The Royal Challengers Bangalore side defeated the Steve Smith-led Rajasthan side by 8 wickets.
Captain Steve Smith was happy to hear about the news of Stokes arrival, the Briton will join teammates Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer and Tom Curran.
The 29-year-old was in Christchurch with his ailing father, who is currently battling cancer.
Stokes had pulled out of the Pakistan Test series in August to spend time with his family.
Stokes posted an image on Instagram before taking leave from his family, with the caption, “Goodbye’s never get easier.”
Stokes had started practising for his IPL stint last month with a red ball at the Sydenham Cricket Club in Christchurch as he posted a video on social media saying, “Wrong colour ball but training’s training.”
The English all-rounder will undergo a six-day quarantine in the UAE, as per IPL rules, before being available for selection in the Steven Smith-led side.
