A fan accuses Ben Stokes for giving more importance to IPL over England; all-rounder responds

The debate about choosing the Indian Premier League (IPL) over playing for the country has been doing the rounds in cricketing circles. And, several England players have been questioned for choosing to play for their IPL sides over playing for England.

The IPL fever has already started, and Ben Stokes has arrived in India for the league. The 29-year-old stated that it was great news that the IPL will be held in India this year. Adding that the fans are a massive part of the IPL, Stokes said that he was not sure whether the fans would be allowed back into the stadium.

Stokes further opined that it was amazing to see the fans throng the stadiums in the recently concluded series between India and England. The England all-rounder also revealed that the atmosphere was amazing.

“It’s great for the competition that it’s come back to its roots (India) after taking place in Dubai last year, which was an achievement in itself. Fingers crossed that fans will be allowed back in at some point during this IPL because they are a huge part of this game and why we play. It was an amazing feeling to have fans back in the grounds on our [England’s] recent tour of India – even though 100 percent of the crowd were against us! Being back in the thick of that atmosphere was amazing,” added Stokes as quoted by Sky Sports.

A fan questions Ben Stokes and the England player responds

A cricket fan took a direct dig at Ben Stokes on social media. The fan opined that Stokes was chasing money and once he is back in an England shirt, he would once again be tired of bowling. And, Stokes gave a fitting reply to the fan.

“When have I ever been too tired to bowl in a England shirt pal?” tweeted Stokes in response to the fan. You can see the conversation between Stokes and the fan below.

The 14th edition of the IPL will get underway on 9th April 2021, and the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will play the inaugural match. Ben Stokes will offer his services for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) outfit. The Rajasthan side will play their first match on 12th April 2021 against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) outfit.