Watch: Ben Stokes' Emotional Speech For His Rajasthan Royals Teammates
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Ben Stokes’ indifferent Indian Premier League (IPL) came to an end on Thursday with Rajasthan Royals‘ thrilling three-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. The allrounder flew back to England on Friday morning to join the national side to prepare for an ODI series against Pakistan in the lead up to the World Cup. As expected, Stokes is a part of England’s strong 15-man squad for the upcoming World Cup.
Stokes, nonetheless, had a poor IPL by his standards. The allrounder, who had bagged the MVP award two years ago, only managed 123 runs in nine games at an average of 20.50. The 27-year old also struggled with the ball in hand, picking up just six wickets at an economy of 11.22. His only decent outing came against Chennai Super Kings in a losing cause in which he smashed 46 runs in 26 balls. Even in his last outing, he failed to make a mark and managed to score just 11.
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Stokes was a regular feature in Royals’ playing eleven but he just couldn’t find his groove and this slump cost Rajasthan dearly this season. With just 4 wins from 11 games, the Royals are very much out of contention for a playoff spot. But they still would have loved Stokes to be with them. Despite being out of form, Stokes is someone who provides that balance to the squad and has the capability of delivering goods under pressure. With all the three games being must-win for Royals, Stokes could have helped their cause.
And it looks like not only the Royals would miss him but he would miss his team too. The allrounder gave an emotional speech to his teammates ahead of his departure. Stokes said that Royals are very close to his heart.
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“After the England team and Durham, Rajasthan Royals is a team I hold dear to my heart,” said Ben Stokes.
Here is the whole speech from Ben Stokes:
"After the England team and Durham, Rajasthan Royals is a team I hold dear to my heart." ?@benstokes38 signed off with an emotional speech. Best of luck, Ben! ?? #HallaBol pic.twitter.com/86VI0XEopN
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) April 26, 2019
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Rajasthan Royals (RR)
