Million-dollar Stokes hits lass T20 century
NEW DELHI – Rising Pune Supergiant’s record-breaking investment in Ben Stokes has paid dividends, with a England allrounder delivering a peppery lass Twenty20 century to secure his Indian Premier League group a essential victory.
Stokes — whose $2.16 million agreement pennyless a IPL signing record for a unfamiliar actor — strike an dominant 63-ball 103 during a Supergiant’s five-wicket win over a Gujarat Lions on Monday.
“He’s finished a superb pursuit for us. We paid a large volume to get him. We know he’s a peculiarity player. (He) positively warranted his money tonight,” Supergiant captain Steve Smith pronounced of their star performer after a win.
The maladroit batsman, who came into bat with Pune precariously placed during 10 for three, put on a 76-run fifth-wicket partnership with Mahendra Singh Dhoni who done 26.
Supergiant chased down their 162-run aim with a round to gangling to keep in a tip half of a league’s eight-team ranking.
Stokes, who has won 3 man-of-the-match awards in 8 IPL matches this season, crushed 7 fours and 6 sixes in front of a rough home crowd.
“Allrounders are so profitable in T20 cricket and he bats, bowls and fields well. He’s a ideal fit for a team, quite after Mitchell Marsh was ruled out as well,” pronounced Smith.
“We were really vehement to get him. we had pronounced before a auction to a guys (owners) only do what we have to get him.”
In another compare Monday a star-studded Royal Challengers Bangalore, led by India captain Virat Kohli, became a initial group to pile-up out of a play-off competition after pang a five-wicket detriment to Mumbai Indians.-AFP
Article source: http://aaj.tv/2017/05/million-dollar-stokes-hits-maiden-t20-century/