In what comes as a big blow for Rajasthan Royals, all-rounder Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 due to a finger injury he sustained during the game against Punjab Kings on Monday.
The incident occurred during the Punjab innings as Stokes went forward to complete the catch off Chris Gayle. He was visibly in pain even though he did come out to bat in the Rajasthan innings — a match which the Sanju Samson-led side lost by four runs.
In an official statement on Tuesday evening, the franchise said, "Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Ben Stokes injured a finger on his left hand while fielding during the team's match against Punjab Kings on 12 April 2021 in Mumbai. Subsequent investigations revealed that he sustained a broken finger, which will, unfortunately, rule him out of the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 season."
Stokes will remain with the Royals camp to provide "valued support and inputs" off the field. The franchise said, "Everyone at Rajasthan Royals absolutely admires Ben for being such a huge asset and a valuable member of the Royals family, both on and off the field, and wishes him a speedy recovery. We are delighted that Ben would like to stay with the group to provide his valued support and inputs off the field. In the meantime, we will be reviewing potential replacement options for the remainder of the season". Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals will next take on Delhi Capitals on Thursday.
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