Ben Stokes, on Tuesday (May 15), bids an emotional goodbye to his Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) teammates. The all-rounder will be leaving for England after playing the game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens.
The Royals had bought Stokes for a whopping INR 12.5 crore, making him the costliest player this year of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Last year too, the English star had become the costliest overseas player after being snapped up by Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) for INR 14.5 crore. He had gone on justify the price tag with a sensational debut season.
Stokes sizzled with his bat, ball as well as in the field, helping his side make it to the final. He had gone on to be adjudged as the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Not surprisingly, he attracted huge bids this year. However, he just could not deliver on the expected lines. He has scored just 185 runs from 12 games so far. The medium pacer has just bagged five wickets with an economy of 8.72.
Prior to coming to India, Stokes had suffered a setback off the pitch when he was charged with affray following an incident in Bristol last September. But he eventually came out clean and will now be focusing on regaining his mojo.
Stokes would be desperate to do well when he plays his last Royals game this year against Dinesh Karthik-led Knight Riders. And before the game, the all-rounder left an emotional message for the franchise.