IPL 10: Ben Stokes certainly earned his cash tonight, remarks Steve Smith

The Rising Pune Supergiant registered a brilliant win over the Gujarat Lions recently. It was a scintillating ton from all-rounder Ben Stokes that helped the Supergiant win the game with 5 wickets in hand. The superlative knock from the Englishman saw him score an unbeaten 103 off mere 63 deliveries. He has certainly been a value addition to the RPS roster and skipper Steve Smith is very pleased with it.

The RPS skipper spoke at length about the knock of Ben Stokes and the team combinations of the RPS in the recent fixture. Ever since becoming the top buy at the IPL auctions this year, the English all-rounder has been the center of all attraction. As per the quotes in the ESPNcricinfo, Steve Smith expressed his happiness over the form of Stokes. He further lauded the way Stokes paced his innings in the run chase.

“He’s been hitting the ball really well. We’re very happy with where he’s at and how he’s played. That was an amazing innings: under pressure, came in at three for nothing and to play the way he did, he timed his innings beautifully, took the game on at the right time. Fantastic knock to get us home. He hit some very clean balls there, chose the right balls to hit, too,” quoted Steve Smith.

Reflecting back at the auctions, the RPS skipper conceded that they were keen on roping in the services of Stokes. They knew how important the all-rounders are in the shortest format of the game. More importantly, Stokes is one of the leading all-rounders in the present era. He was expected to be a big time player in the tournament especially after someone like Mitch Marsh was ruled out. And, the southpaw has come up really good for the team. Steve Smith believes Stokes is justifying every bit of his price tag.

“He’s always said from the start that he judges himself on how he plays. He’s not going to put any extra pressure on himself just because he has a big price tag next to his name. We were very excited to get him. I had said before the auction to the guys [owners] just do what you have to to get him. Allrounders are so valuable in T20 cricket and he bats, bowls and fields well. He’s a perfect fit for our team, particularly after Mitchell Marsh was ruled out as well. He’s done a terrific job for us. We paid a big amount to get him. We know he’s a quality player. [He] certainly earned his cash tonight,” he conceded.

Talking about the team atmosphere, Steve Smith said that the team has some very interesting characters who keep everyone entertained. They are a happy bunch of players at the moment who seem to gelling well with one another. The home ground of Pune was tipped to be a jinxed venue for RPS since they did not win a single game there last year. This year, though, they have 4 wins at the venue thus far. Smith is quite content with the results.

“For us it’s about trying to get to know each other for six or eight weeks and try and get the best out of each other. Even learn a bit about one another. The team’s been really good. We’ve got some really good characters in the shed there,” said the Aussie cricketer.

“We’re four [wins] and two [losses] here, if I’m right. That’s reasonable going. One more game to play here against the Kings [XI Punjab on May 14], so hopefully we can make it 5 and 2. I’ve said that these five games are very important for us and I think we’ve played some really good cricket and it’s nice to get over the line and be in the position where we are now,” he added further.

In the last game, New Zealand speedster Lockie Ferguson bowled a brilliant spell of 2/7 in his quota of four overs. He was named the Man of the Match for his efforts. Surprisingly enough, Ferguson was dropped from the playing eleven in the match against the Lions. Steve Smith explained his ouster by quoting the team balance aided by someone like Dan Christian. The batting abilities of Christian saw him retain his place in the side.

“It was difficult [to leave out Ferguson] but we had some different thoughts. We thought this is our best combination. Dan Christian has bowled particularly well in the games he’s played and he’s a power-hitter towards the end as well. He’s done a really good job for us. So tonight it was the right call,” Steve Smith pointed out.