Ben Stokes ruled out of IPL after a suspected broken finger

Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 with a broken finger. Stokes suffered the injury during the Rajasthan Royals' first match of the tournament against Punjab Kings while taking a catch to get Chris Gayle's wicket. After dropping a catch earlier in the game, Stokes ran hard from long-on and dived forward in a bid to complete the catch to dismiss Chris Gayle. However, Stokes immediately felt discomfort in his left hand. Despite that, the all-rounder continued to play the game and even came to open the innings for RR but ended up with a three-ball duck. Sanju Samson and the team fell five-run short in their 222-run chase. Rajasthan Royals also declared that Stokes has decided to stay with the squad. The team management is soon likely to look for a replacement for the England all-rounder.

England Cricket Board would now be concerned over their ace all-rounder's fitness, considering they have a packed nine months schedule to follow. After playing against New Zealand, England is going to host five Tests against India. England will then proceed for the T20 World Cup and the Ashes. Ben Stokes is crucial for England in all formats of the game. Thus, his injury will come as a massive blow to the reigning 50-over world champions.

Jofra Archer resumes training

Jofra Archer has been cleared to resume training from this week after undergoing surgery. Earlier this month, Jofra Archer had headed back home just before the ODI series against India due to an elbow injury. The 25-year-old featured in two Tests and all five T20Is in India. However, he was out of the ODI series because of a problem with his right elbow, which deteriorated during the two-month tour. However, it still remains uncertain when he will be available for the Royals to make a comeback in IPL 2021. 

In Ben Stokes' absence, RR will also struggle to find an ideal replacement for him within their team. Despite Sanju Samson's heroics, Punjab Kings won the last-ball thriller by four runs in Wankhede to get their campaign off to a winning start. Rajasthan Royals will now play against Delhi Capitals on April 15 in Mumbai. Rajasthan Royals will now play against Delhi Capitals in their second game on Thursday (April 15).

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