Ben Stokes will fetch a "heftier" price in next IPL, feels Carlos Brathwaite

Sanjiv Goenka surprised everyone when he placed a bid of Rs.14.5 crores in English all-rounder Ben Stokes at the auction table. But Stokes did no harm to his reputation as owing to his performances, Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) finished 2nd in the league stages. The Englishman has performed exceptionally both with the bat and the ball. He has scored more than 300 runs, including a match-winning century. With the ball in hand, he has picked up 12 wickets and maintained an economy rate of just over 7 runs per over.

But Stokes will never be able to forget the ICC World Cup T20 final night at the Eden Gardens. West Indies needed 19 runs from 6 deliveries, and an unknown batsman named Carlos Brathwaite was batting. The match was there for the taking for England, and Stokes came to bowl the final over. Brathwaite showed his capability, as he sky-rocketed back to back 4 balls for six.

After a year from the mega-event, Brathwaite revealed he always thought Stokes is a very talented player. Speaking to Skysports, he said, “He has always been a decent bowler”. “I don’t think one bad night should define his career, and in the aftermath of the World T20, that seemed to be the case. He has just continued to do what he has done successfully over the past few years with England.” added the West Indian all-rounder.

Stokes is not the best

When asked about whether Stokes is the best all-rounder at the moment or not, Brathwaite replied “I wouldn’t say he is the best bowler in the world or even the best allrounder – Andre Russell is currently banned but is the gold star standard. But Stokes is certainly consistent enough, and along with Chris Morris, is probably just behind. People are now really starting to appreciate his skills.” He further added, “There was probably a lot more spotlight on him in this tournament than usual because of the price tag, and he has shown a lot of mental toughness in returning to India and the scene of the crime if you want to call it that.”

On next year’s IPL Auction

BCCI recently indicated there will be a fresh auction for IPL next year, with no-retention policy. That means Stokes will go under the hammer again and Brathwaite feels he will fetch a bigger price next year. “There will be another big auction next year, and if he is allowed to return – depending on England commitments – he could go for an even heftier price tag. A year is a long time in cricket though. You don’t know who will be the next big thing in the next 12 months, or if even the rules of the IPL will change. But players like Stokes are worth their weight in gold and if he continues the way he is going, he will fetch a large amount again.” said Carlos.

Rising Pune Supergiant will be playing the final of IPL 10 without the English all-rounder as England and Wales  Cricket Board (ECB) recalled their players for ICC Champions Trophy preparations. But they managed to defeat the table-toppers Mumbai Indians without him. It will be interesting to see whether they miss their show-stopper in the final or not.