England Test captain Ben Stokes opened up on his time at Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Indian Premier League (IPL 2023). Reflecting on his stint with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2023, he said that received the TFC Award, standing for the 'Thanks For Coming' accolade. Despite not going as planned due to unfortunate injuries, the experience of being part of the incredible CSK franchise was truly remarkable, said Stokes. Having previously worked with Stephen Fleming and MS Dhoni during his time in Pune, Stokes said that witnessing the dynamic between them was awe-inspiring.


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"The trust that they (MS and Fleming) have in the decisions they make, one as a coach and one as a captain. MS has the emotion of being out in the game, whereas sometimes when you’re sitting on the sideline, you don’t have that emotion. I think they both have an incredible understanding of that. But one thing me and Baz always try to do, and what MS and Flem do is whatever decision they make around selection or whatever decision they have to make very quickly, it’s always based around what’s best for the team. That's something me and Baz always try and live by when we make decisions," said Stokes.


Stokes also opened up on why he went with three spinners in the 1st Test vs India at Hyderabad, something which England had not done for ages and which also surprised many. The move worked as left-arm spinner Tom Hartley picked seven wickets in an innings. "I think sometimes inexperience can be looked at into a bit too much. There’s no doubt that experience makes players feel more comfortable and settled, especially in this environment. But the spinners we’ve selected on this tour are ones we think will give us the best opportunity to beat India. For me, it’s not just about the spinners but understanding the talent they have and allowing them to go out there and express that talent and giving them the platform and the best possible opportunity to not worry about the outcome too much and focus on what cricket actually is. As a bowler, your job is to think about taking wickets. As a batsman, it's about going out there and scoring runs. Anything more than that is overcomplicating it. I’m just taking away that fear and anxiety around the outcome," said Stokes.