The defending champion Gujarat Titans (GT) will play the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings to begin the 2023 IPL on Friday, March 31.
Since acquiring the star all-rounder at the IPL 2023 auction for INR 16.25 crore, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fans have been eagerly awaiting to see England Test captain Ben Stokes in yellow.
With less than two weeks left in the 16th season of the lucrative league, Stokes gave a significant update, so the fans might not have to wait too long.
Stokes shared a message of Chennai Super Kings on his Instagram account, along with an image of the Chepauk Stadium, saying, “Not long until I meet up with everyone.”
The moment Stokes shared this, the CSK fans went into a frenzy since they couldn’t believe that Stokes was finally returning to the IPL and finally wearing yellow.
Fans reaction –
“Big Ben Is Coming”
“Ben Stokes under MS Dhoni’s Captaincy, Chepauk can’t wait already!!”
“Lesssgooooo!!!! Ben stokes coming soon”
Stokes and Dhoni reunite after long break
After six long years, Stokes, who has previously played for the Rajasthan Royals and Rising Pune Supergiants, will rejoin with MS Dhoni.
After being named England’s Test captain in 2022, Stokes had stated that red-ball cricket would be his top priority; yet, after retiring from ODI cricket, he found a way to balance his workload.
Stokes’ appointment as England’s Test captain coincided with his signing by CSK.
After becoming the team’s captain, Stokes has guided England to 10 victories in 12 Test matches.
Many people speculated that Stokes might succeed Dhoni at CSK because the illustrious four-time IPL champion could play his final season in the league in 2023.
Fans are eagerly anticipating the Stokes-Dhoni reunion, likely their last as teammates.
CSK IPL 2023 Complete Schedule
- March 31, 2023 – Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings, Ahmedabad (7:30 PM IST)
- April 3, 2023 – Chennai Super Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants, Chennai (7:30 PM IST)
- April 8, 2023 – Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai (7:30 PM IST)
- April 12, 2023 – Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, Chennai (7:30 PM IST)
- April 17, 2023: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings, Bengaluru (7:30 PM IST)
- April 21, 2023: Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai (7:30 PM IST)
- April 23, 2023: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata (7:30 PM IST)
- April 27, 2023 – Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings, Jaipur (7:30 PM IST)
- April 30, 2023 – Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings, Chennai (3:30 PM IST)
- May 4, 2023 – Lucknow Super Giants vs Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow (3:30 PM IST)
- May 6, 2023 – Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, Chennai (3:30 PM IST)
- May 10, 2023: Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals, Chennai (7:30 PM IST)
- May 14, 2023: Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai (7:30 PM IST)
- May 20, 2023: Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings, Delhi (3:30 PM IST)
Chennai Super Kings IPL 2023 squad:
MS Dhoni (c), Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu, Subhranshu Senapati, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Dwaine Pretorius, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Tushar Deshpande, Mukesh Chowdhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Deepak Chahar, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Ajinkya Rahane, Ben Stokes, Shaik Rasheed, Nishant Sindhu, Kyle Jamieson, Ajay Mandal, Bhagath Varma.
Also Read: IPL 2023: Who Is CSK’s ‘X-factor’? Harbhajan Singh Names This Indian All-rounder
