Steve Smith hints when Ben Stokes can possibly start for Rajasthan Royals

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After having won the first two matches, Steve Smith led Rajasthan Royals faced three consecutive defeats in the 13th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) in the UAE and placed at the seventh position in the points table as well. While apart from Jos Buttler, others failed to perform, they are hoping for the return of their key all-rounder Ben Stokes.

Stokes, who earlier stayed with his family, has already reached UAE and maintained the mandatory six-day quarantine period as well. And, he is likely to be available only after the 10th of October. On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals captain Steve Smith has opened up about his return in the squad.

“I think losing wickets early doesn’t help, we haven’t been able to get off to a good start in the last three games. Outside of Jos and Archer at the end, we have a bit of work to do on our batting. He (Stokes) is not out till the 10th I think. He is not too far away, hopefully, we can get a few wins before he’s back and then gain momentum,” Smith said during the post-match presentation.

After the defeat, Steve Smith expressed his disappointment where their batsmen failed miserably but he added that are not panicking too much. Notably, they faced a 57 runs loss to Mumbai Indians on Tuesday.

Mumbai Indians posted 193 runs in their 20 overs after batting first. While defending, Jasprit Bumrah claimed four wickets, James Pattinson and Trent Boult took two wickets each and restricted Rajasthan Royals within 136 runs. Jos Buttler top-scored with 70 runs during the chase for RR. With this win, Mumbai Indians are placed at the top of the points table.

“I don’t think we need to panic too much, it is just about implementing our plans and playing some good cricket for longer. We haven’t been able to do that in the last three games and we have to turn it around quickly. Hopefully, get a bit of momentum,” Steve Smith concluded.

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