The arrival of Ben Stokes at the IPL after his extended compassionate leave will give Rajasthan Royals a boost, just as their form has taken a dip.
Rajasthan had topped the league after their stunning two wins in Sharjah, but they have struggled to maintain their excellence since moving away from the UAE’s oldest venue.
They followed defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders in Dubai earlier in the week with an eight-wicket loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore in Abu Dhabi on Saturday afternoon.
While the fixture was going on, Stokes was en route to the UAE from Christchurch, where he has been since the middle of the summer.
The England all-rounder left the UK to spend time with his family in New Zealand. His father Ged has been diagnosed with brain cancer.
On arrival in Dubai, he will have to quarantine for six days, and should be available to join Rajasthan for the second half of the league phase of the competition.
“Our thought are with his family first and foremost,” Andrew McDonald, the Rajasthan coach, said.
“He is on a flight. He is going to join us and will definitely give us a lift because he is an incredible player.
“He will allow us to structure [the team] in different ways, because he is three-dimensional.
“We are excited to have him landing. He will obviously have to quarantine, then can hopefully come out and have an impact in the back half of the season.”
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Bangalore v Rajasthan player ratings
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ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE RATINGS: Devdutt Padikkal – 8. Another highly promising effort. His 63 in 45 balls assured victory for his side. Sportzpics for BCCI -
Aaron Finch – 6. Meant business with two fours at the start of the innings, and might have felt he had survived an lbw shout from Gopal, only to be condemned on review. Sportzpics for BCCI -
Virat Kohli – 8. After three false starts, the RCB captain finally had some proper time in the middle, as he made a half-century. Sportzpics for BCCI -
AB de Villiers – 7. Unfussy with the gloves despite the high temperature of the first afternoon start, and did what he needed to when he got to the wicket with the game won. Sportzpics for BCCI -
Gurkeerat Singh – 5. Two matches in the tournament so far, and for the second time he did not get to do anything. AFP -
Shivam Dube – 6. Not needed with the bat, but yet again he was thrifty with the ball – albeit just for one over. Sportzpics for BCCI -
Isuru Udana – 6. Another mixed bag with the ball as he leaked runs, but took two important wickets and held a good catch. Sportzpics for BCCI -
Washington Sundar – 8. After a slow start to this IPL he has really found his range. Just the 20 off his four overs this time around. Sportzpics for BCCI -
Navdeep Saini – 7. Started brilliantly, picking up Buttler in a wicket-maiden, but had a tough finish, including a gruesome beamer to Tewatia. Sportzpics for BCCI -
Yuzvendra Chahal – 9. Dismissed Samson with his first ball, and Uthappa with the first ball of his second over. Ended with three for 24. Sportzpics for BCCI -
Adam Zampa – 5. Expensive, as he went at nine per over, so he was not given all four overs in his quota. Sportzpics for BCCI -
RAJASTHAN ROYALS RATINGS: Jos Buttler – 6. He was striking the ball with typical crispness before he edged Saini’s first ball to Padikkal at slip for 22 off 12. Sportzpics for BCCI -
Steve Smith – 3. Dragged on to an Isuru Udana slower ball having earlier been beaten by a classic inswinger by the same bowler. Sportzpics for BCCI -
Sanju Samson – 4. Stroked a glorious off-drive from the first ball he faced, only to fall caught and bowled to the first he received from Chahal. Sportzpics for BCCI -
Robin Uthappa – 4. Really had the chance to prove his worth to Rajasthan, but gave it away having reached 17 off 22 balls. Sportzpics for BCCI -
Mahipal Lomror – 7. Knitted together the rescue effort with 47 from 39 balls on his first appearance of the season. Sportzpics for BCCI -
Riyan Parag – 5. At least he had some time in the middle, having made an aggregate of seven from his previous three innings. But 16 from 18 balls was still a struggle. Sportzpics for BCCI -
Rahul Tewatia – 7. Suffered a fearful blow when hit on the chest by a 140kph beamer from Saini – only to hit the next two balls for six. Four overs for 28 with the ball. Sportzpics for BCCI -
Jofra Archer – 7. Visibly frustrated with his fielders, as they let simple balls past and did not go full bore for others. One for 18, and another decent cameo with the bat. Sportzpics for BCCI -
Shreyas Gopal – 7. Picked up the wicket of Finch, and four overs for 27 was tidy enough, but RCB were able to milk him given the small total. Sportzpics for BCCI -
Tom Curran – 5. None for 36 off three, as his economy rate remains a worry. It seemed as though it was getting to him this time, too. Sportzpics for BCCI -
Jaydev Unadkat – 5. Must be sweating on his place in the side now. Just one wicket in four matches, and an alarming economy rate, too. Sportzpics for BCCI
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Stokes’ return to the Rajasthan line up should add some firepower to the Rajasthan middle order.
The team have been run-shy in the two games since their extraordinary run-chase against Kings XI Punjab.
Steve Smith, their captain, is demanding more from the top-order batting of Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, and himself.
Rajasthan had been 31 for three in the fifth over against Bangalore. They struggled to 154 for six from their 20 overs, and RCB chased that with eight wickets, and five balls to spare.
“Our top three should be doing the job a lot more,” Smith said.
“In the past three games we haven’t really got going. Us three have to take it a little bit deeper, and then I think we have enough power.
“We have seen what Rahul Tewatia can do, and Jofra [Archer] and Tom Curran as well.
"We bat quite deep, but our top three need to bat for a little bit longer and get ourselves into the innings.”
Devdutt Padikkal made his third half-century of the tournament so far in Bangalore’s run chase, and was thrilled to share in a stand worth 99 for the second wicket with Virat Kohli.
“I have watched him so many time since I was small,” Padikkal said of his captain.
“To bat with him is an unreal feeling and I am enjoying it thoroughly.
“He kept pushing me. I was getting tired, and kept cramping up, but he was pushing me to finish the innings.
“He told me to play to the end. That’s how he bats, and that’s what he was trying to covey to me as well.”
The 20-year-old opener’s start in the IPL has marked him out as a player with a fine future, according to Simon Katich, the Bangalore coach.
“He has been brilliant for us since the word go,” Katich said.
“He had a magnificent season for Karnataka. Once we identified that, we thought there was a role for him to play at the top of the order.
“He is a very talented young player. He has a big future in front of him, and we are seeing the start of it at this IPL.”
Kohli saw RCB over the winning line with 72 not out, and Katich expects the innings to “kick start his IPL” after some low scores so far.
“We don’t see it as Virat being out of form at all,” Katich said.
“We thought he looked magnificent in the first game, but unfortunately holed out. Then he missed out a couple of times and that can happen in T20.
“I think what helped was that he helped get us across the line in the Super Over, he played a great shot, and has carried on from there.”
