Ben Stokes has had a cortisone injection on his troublesome left knee three months out from the Ashes.
Hence the England skipper Stokes will begin his Indian Premier League marketing campaign with the Chennai Super Kings as a specialist batter, the group’s batting coach Mike Hussey stated.
The all-rounder had the injection, which will help relieve ache and irritation, earlier than the beginning of the IPL season.
The knee challenge has lengthy bothered Stokes, 31, and he was in ache all through the drawn two-Test sequence in opposition to New Zealand. He bowled solely two overs in England’s one-run defeat within the second Test.
“My understanding is he’s ready to go as a batsman from the start. The bowling might be wait and see,” former Australia batter Hussey instructed cricket news web site Cricinfo on Tuesday.
“I know he had his first very light bowl this week since he had his injections in his knee. The physios from Chennai and the ECB (England & Wales Cricket Board) are working pretty closely together.
“My understanding is he will not be bowling a lot in any respect within the first few video games of the match … it may be just a few weeks. I’m not 100% positive, (however we are going to) hopefully get him bowling for the duration of the match.”
Stokes has already said he will leave the IPL early to prepare for a one-off Test against Ireland at Lord’s from June 1 and the first Ashes match at Edgbaston, which starts on June 16.
Four-times champions Chennai face defending champions Gujarat Titans within the IPL season-opener on Friday.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
