In order to manage his knee injury, England Test captain Ben Stokes will play as a specialist batter during the first phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.
Stokes, who was signed by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for INR 16.25 crore, arrived in India last week and has been training with his new teammates. On Friday, CSK will face defending champions Gujarat Titans in the first game of the IPL 2023.
According to the BBC, Stokes had a cortisone injection in his problematic left knee before leaving for the IPL.
"He'll be ready to bat right away, but the bowling will have to wait and see. I know he had his first very light bowl this week after his knee injections "According to BBC, CSK batting coach Mike Hussey.
"My understanding is that he won't be bowling much in the first few games of the tournament, and that he won't be bowling for a few weeks. We're hoping to get him bowling at some point during the tournament "He went on to say.
Stokes was unable to bowl during the second Test against New Zealand in February due to a long-standing injury. On the final day, he also had problems with his knee while batting.