5 things that helped Ben Stokes vs Gujarat Lions
We might have seen many IPL and T20I hundreds scored by various players across different leagues, but the one by Rising Pune Supergiant’s Ben Stokes against Gujarat Lions will stay right up there with the best, considering the context of the game and his own mediocre batting performance until that game.
Having won 5 out of their last 6 games, RPS were in a spot of bother against GL after Pradeep Sangwan and Basil Thampi dismissed Rahane, Smith, and Tiwary, with the total a paltry 10 runs in 1.3 overs.
Chasing 162 to win, Stokes came in at No. 5, steadied the ship, scored a scintillating century (103* off 63) and single-handedly took his team to a five-wicket victory with a ball to spare.
Here we have a look at five things that helped the Englishman produce that breathtaking knock.
#1 A much-needed break
Having been out of the side for a couple of games due to an injury to his right shoulder, Stokes had come back fresh and raring to go for yesterday’s clash. With captain Steve Smith showing faith in him after leaving out Lockie Ferguson – who was the Man of the Match in the previous game, Stokes performed to the best of his abilities.
The Rs. 14.5 crore price tag baggage, which he had been carrying from the start of this IPL season, did hamper his performance, especially in the batting department. Even during the post-match presentation, he affirmed that the niggle actually helped him take some time off the game and have a breather.
A break from the intense proceedings helped Stokes get out of his lean patch with the bat, and has helped him find his batting touch.