Broken Finger Rules Ben Stokes Out of The Indian T20 League 2021

Rajasthan have suffered a huge blow to their campaign as star all-rounder Ben Stokes has been ruled out from the entire 2021 season of the Indian T20 League. He sustained a finger injury during Rajasthan's opening match when he took Chris Gayle's catch in the 10th over of Punjab's innings. He carried on playing but did not bowl in the match afterward. With the bat, Stokes lasted for just three deliveries before getting dismissed by Mohammed Shami without scoring.

“Ben Stokes injured his left-hand finger while fielding during the team's first match against Punjab on 12th April 2021 in Mumbai. Subsequent investigations revealed that he sustained a broken finger, which will, unfortunately, rule him out of the remainder of the 2021 season,” Rajasthan management said in a statement after the match. 

Already without Jofra Archer for the first half of the season, Rajasthan will have to do without Stokes in the upcoming matches. Their start to the new season was not great as Punjab won the last-ball thriller by just 4 runs, despite a herculean effort from the new skipper Sanju Samson. Fellow countrymen Liam Livingstone, who can bat in the top order and could bowl part-time off-spin, is most likely to fill in for Stokes in the playing XI. David Miller or Andrew Tye are also an option for the fourth overseas player.

"Everyone in the team admires Ben and wishes him a speedy recovery. Also, we are delighted that he has decided 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." the Rajasthan management said in the statement on Tuesday.

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