Ben Stokes, the England and Rajasthan Royals (RR) all-rounder, said that playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021), will help all the England players prepare for the T20 World Cup 2021 in India.
This is because there are a host of England players participating in the 14th edition of the IPL, which is played across six venues- Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad. The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will also host the playoffs and final of the IPL 2021.
In total there are 14 England players playing in the IPL 2021- Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler, Stokes, Johnny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Sam Billings, Liam Livingstone, and Dawid Malan. These players will get exposure on the venues in IPL 2021, which may also host the matches in the T20 World Cup 2021 which India will host in October-November later this year.
Playing In IPL Is A Great Chance For The English Guys To Get More Experience In These Conditions: Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes will be turning out for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2021 and said that constant exposure for England players in Indian conditions will come in handy for them when the time comes for ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
“Yes — the percentage of English players in the IPL has probably grown in the last five or so years. Not only is that great for the individual but it is also great for the players involved in the England set-up; it gives them experience in the most high-profile competition in the world but not only that — you are under constant pressure to perform,” Stokes told Sky Sports.
“You’ve got billions of people watching you and you’ve got the pressure of the franchise on you. Being constantly exposed to that is a huge benefit to us as a team, especially with the T20 World Cup coming up at the end of the year in India; it’s a great chance for the English guys to get more experience in these conditions,” Stokes added.
Furthermore, Ben Stokes was happy that the Indian Premier League returned to India after the IPL 2020 was held in UAE due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that the tournament has come back to its roots.
He also hoped for the fans to be allowed in the stadiums at some point in the IPL 2021 edition, saying that they were the heart of the tournament and the biggest reason why players play cricket, to entertain the crowd.