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By India Today Sports Desk: England Test captain Ben Stokes is set to return home following Chennai Super Kings’ final group-stage match against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on May 20.
According to reports from ESPNcricinfo, Stokes will return to England for their Test match against Ireland at Lord’s on June 1, a ficture that is being seen as a preparation match ahead of the Ashes. England will play their first Test against Australia in the Ashes series at Edgbaston on June 16, with Stokes making his intentions clear of fulfilling the role of the fourth seamer in the England side.
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Stokes joined the Chennai-based franchise for a whopping Rs 16.25 crores but has managed to play only two matches this season. Stokes turned out for CSK against Gujarat Titans in the opener of IPL 2023, and managed to score just seven runs. He then scored eight runs and gave away 18 in his solitary over against Lucknow Super Giants.
CSK head coach Stephen Fleming said they have the right balance in their side, adding that Stokes is playing the role of a batting cover.
“Ben’s ability to bowl overs at the moment is still a bit of a challenge, but he’s there as that batting cover. But with Moeen bowling well in good conditions – we go to Delhi [next] which has been turning – we think the balance of the side has been right,” said Fleming.
He went on to say that CSK are not looking to chop and change their starting XI too much ahead of their final group-stage match. With Stokes only featuring in two matches this season, it seems like he won’t be getting the chance to wear the famous yellow jersey this season.
“We’re second on the table, so it’s not our style to chop and change just because we’ve had a loss where things didn’t go our way. We won’t do that. We might tinker with it but we’re very focused on getting the right team for Delhi,” Fleming added.
England will face Ireland in a one-off Test on June 1, before taking on Australia in the first of the five-match Ashes series, starting June 16.
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