Last Update on: March 29th, 2023 at 12:21 pm

L Balaji, who is the bowling coach of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), has stated that he believes Ben Stokes can be groomed as a finisher for the team in the future. Balaji has praised Stokes’ ability with both bat and ball and thinks that he can be someone that CSK can rely on in crucial moments to close out matches.

The England Test captain can be trained to be the finisher, a job that Dhoni has previously fulfilled for the four-time champions.

In the upcoming Indian Premier League season, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are aiming for a record-equaling fifth title. To win the title, the team held a three-week intensive practice session at Chepauk, with the majority of the players there.

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The four-time winners had a dismal season in 2022, finishing ninth in the points standings. They saw a change of guard before the status quo was restored. Last season, the Chennai-based franchise won just four of 14 league games.

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“Ben Stokes can be groomed to be the finisher”- L Balaji

L Balaji believes that Ben Stokes can be worked on to become a reliable finisher lower down the order for the CSK team. Chennai Super Kings have always valued players who can finish innings strongly, and considering Ben Stokes’ power-packed batting and finisher capabilities for the English team, L Balaji’s suggestion seems plausible.

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“Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Convey can make a good opening pair. Ambati Rayudu can play the role of Raina. It is difficult to play the role of Dhoni. But Ben Stokes can be groomed to be the finisher that CSK will look forward to in the future. Ben Stokes with his attacking brand of cricket could be the game-changer that CSK is looking for. Deepak Chahar, Stokes himself, Moeen Ali, Mukesh Choudhary, Jadeja, Dwaine Pretorius, and Mitchell Santner are the bowling options that CSK can exploit. As I said earlier, CSK ticks all the boxes and has quality players in their ranks,’’ opined Balaji.

The defending champions will start the season and match 1 of IPL 2023 will see the reigning champions Gujarat Titans take on 4-time champions the Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad.

GT vs CSK: “Ben Stokes Can Be Groomed To Be The Finisher That CSK Will Look Forward To In The Future”- L Balaji

“Ben Stokes can be groomed to be the finisher”- L Balaji

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