Aakash Chopra Slams CSK for Overspending on Ben Stokes in Previous IPL Auction

Akash Chopra, the ex-Indian cricketer and popular commentator, brushed off the buzz surrounding English all-rounder Ben Stokes, suggesting that Chennai Super Kings went a bit overboard in acquiring him at the last year’s auction.

Chennai Super Kings shelled out INR 16.25 Crore to rope in Ben Stokes during the IPL 2023 auction, but the English all-rounder failed to deliver, managing just a couple of games without making a notable impact with either bat or ball.

Opting for workload management, Ben Stokes withdrew from IPL 2024. Akash Chopra opines that even if he were available in the IPL 2024 auction, no team would have pursued him like Chennai Super Kings did last year, considering his injury-prone history.

“Ben Stokes has said that he won’t play in the IPL. Was Chennai going to retain him? That’s a big question. In my opinion, they weren’t going to do so. Would any other team have bought him for 16.25 crores? My two cents – it was not going to happen,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

Chennai Super Kings released Ben Stokes before the IPL 2024 auction to open up their budget. It’ll be intriguing to see which players they set their sights on during the auction.