Rajasthan Royals (RR) suffered a massive blow after their Ben Stokes ruled himself out of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign with a broken left index finger on 13 April.
While fielding against Punjab Kings in RR’s opening game, Stokes charged in from long-on to catch Chris Gayle and injured himself in the process. He continued to field. Then, opening the batting, he was out for a three-ball duck.
Following an X-ray on Tuesday, it transpired that it will take another two days to reveal the extent of the injury.
RR issued a statement later that evening: “Everyone at Rajasthan Royals absolutely admires Ben for being such a huge asset and a valuable member of the Royals family, both on and off the field, and wishes him a speedy recovery. We are delighted that Ben would like to stay with the group to provide his valued support and inputs off the field. In the meantime, we will be reviewing potential replacement options for the remainder of the season.”
Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the IPL following a broken finger in last night's game. 😔
He will stay with the Royals and support the rest of the group in the upcoming matches. 💗#RoyalsFamily | @benstokes38 pic.twitter.com/WVUIFmPLMJ
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) April 13, 2021
RR began their campaign with a heartbreaking 4-run defeat to Punjab Kings. The absence of Stokes in the rest of the tournament certainly hit them even more harder.
The only good news that came for Rajasthan is the latest update on Jofra Archer. The MVP of IPL 2020, Archer had earlier announced that he would not be available for the first four games after undergoing a finger surgery in late January. On Tuesday, the England Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that Archer had been cleared to start light training and will work with Sussex and the national medical team this week.
Rajasthan will lock horns with Delhi Capitals (DC) next at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Thursday, April 15.