IPL 2020: Reason behind Ben Stokes' folded-finger gesture after his match-winning knock vs MI

England’s Ben Stokes had a day to remember against the Mumbai Indians (MI) on Sunday, October 25. Representing the Rajasthan Royals (RR), the left-hander wasn’t able to flourish as the opener in his first few appearances. However, in the last game at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, he showed why he’s deemed as one of the best all-rounders in the modern era.

The Royals were chasing a mammoth target of 196 and lost a couple of early wickets in the form of Robin Uthappa and skipper Steve Smith. However, Stokes notched his second IPL century and stayed unbeaten on 107 runs off 60 balls with the help of 14 fours and three sixes. He also stitched together an unbeaten 152-run stand with Sanju Samson, who smashed a 31-ball 54.

On the back of his efforts, the Royals won by eight wickets with 10 balls to spare. After he played the match-winning hand, Stokes paid tribute to his father, Ged, who’s suffering from brain cancer for the last 10 months or so. Ben folded his middle finger to dedicate his ton to his father.

Saw it again today. Respect! https://t.co/oEXVm3jnPK pic.twitter.com/QZgJFXPe6n

— Kartik Jayaraman (@elitecynic) October 25, 2020

The reason behind Ben Stokes’ celebration

Ged Stokes had moved to England with his son to earn his living as a rugby coach. But prior to that, he plied his trade as a rugby player while staying in Christchurch. But there were roadblocks for him. In order to keep earning money, he had his finger amputated.

“A persistent problem with a digit that had been bent out of shape by numerous dislocations saw Stokes senior seek medical advice. The doctor told him to have an operation and take a significant time out of the game. Keen to continue playing and continue getting paid, Ged asked for another option. There was only one – amputation. He took it,” a report from 2015 in cricket.com.au read.

Back in August 2020, Ben moved to Christchurch, his place of birth, midway through the Test series against Pakistan. He wanted to spend some quality time with his family. Two months later, he joined the Royals for the ongoing IPL. He had to serve a quarantine period after which he made his way into the playing eleven.