IPL 10: Steve Smith unhappy with Stokes' departure from the IPL roster

Rising Pune Supergiant skipper Steve Smith is unhappy with the departure of their key player Ben Stokes ahead of the play-offs. The franchise from Pune thrashed Kings XI Punjab by nine wickets to finish second in the points table behind Mumbai Indians (MI). This means that they will now get two shots to make it to the grand finale. RPS were bang on their money right from the ball one, after their skipper Steve Smith won the toss and elected to bowl first.

Jaydev Unadkat provided them with the much-needed early wicket by picking off Martin Guptill on the very the first ball. Pune had one foot in the Playoffs by the end of the first powerplay itself as KXIP were struggling with half of their side back in the pavilion at a score of 32. Punjab was bundled out for a score of 73 and with not much to chase Pune cruised their way to victory. Speaking after the game Pune’s skipper Steve Smith said that, “It was a nice day. The bowlers did a terrific job.”

However, RPS will be missing out on the service of their all-rounder Ben Stokes in the knockouts as he flies back to fulfil national duties.

Smith’s view on Stokes absence in the playoffs:

“We were searching a bit in the first few games. We had new players coming in, we have a good balance now. Really good to finish second and have bites at the cherry. Yeah, we have a couple of options for Stokes. He has been magnificent and will be a big loss. Hopefully, the other guys will stand up for us,” Smith said.

Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen has, however, lashed out on England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for not allowing Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoff for their respective teams.

Stokes was a major asset to Pune’s side as he scored 316 runs from 12 games and also had 12 wickets to his name. The All-Rounder provided the much-needed balance to their side. But he has now been recalled by the ECB to join their national team for the upcoming ODI series against South Africa. The England national team will also be traveling to Spain for training ahead of the South Africa series.