Chennai's record-breaking signing Ben Stokes unlikely to bowl in initial stages of Indian T20 League

England Test captain Ben Stokes will be playing as a batsman only in the upcoming Indian T20 League after receiving a cortisone injection in his left knee, according to former Australia batsman and Chennai batting coach Mike Hussey. Stokes, who was signed by the Chennai for an impressive fee of 16.25 crore in December, was not fully fit during England's recent tour of New Zealand, and after bowling just two overs in the second Test in Wellington, the 31-year-old expressed his frustration at not being able to perform at his best.

The England and Wales Cricket Board medical staff have been working closely with their Chennai counterparts to manage Stokes' workload ahead of the five-Test Ashes series against Australia in England starting in June. Hussey, who worked with Stokes during England's victorious 20-20 World Cup campaign in November, confirmed that the physios from Chennai and the ECB were working closely together to ensure that Stokes was ready for the Indian T20 League.

Hopefully, we will get him bowling- Mike Hussey

"He (Stokes) is ready to go as a batsman from the start, the bowling might be wait and see. I know he had his first very light bowl this week since he had his injections in his knee," Hussey said. "My understanding is he won't be bowling much at all in the first few games of the tournament, or it might be a few weeks, I'm not 100 percent sure. But hopefully we'll get him bowling at some stage in the tournament."

Hussey jokingly referenced Stokes's importance to England in the Ashes by saying: "From an Australian perspective I'm going to hope he bowls 20 or 30 overs in nets. We'll be running him into the ground and I'll be making sure he does extra weight sessions and run throughs to put pressure on that body." However, he quickly added that he wanted a fit Stokes playing his best cricket at the Ashes, and hoped that both teams would be at their best, going hard at it, in what he believed would be an "unbelievable series to watch".

"I want a fit Ben Stokes playing his best cricket at the Ashes. I want both teams at their best, going hard at it and I think it will be an unbelievable series to watch," Hussey said. "He's going to be huge for us (at Chennai) too, particularly if we can get him bowling."