Samson & Co. hold emotional farewell for Ben Stokes as all-rounder flies back to England

Rajasthan Royals faced a massive blow when English all-rounder Ben Stokes was ruled out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. Ben Stokes fractured his finger in the inaugural match against Punjab Kings. Ben Stokes has flown back to England, where the English all-rounder will undergo surgery on his fractured left index finger in Leeds on Monday (April 19).  The England all-rounder was a vital cog for the Rajasthan-based IPL franchise with the World Cup 2019 winner coming in handy with bat or ball in hand for the team on multiple occasions.

Before Ben Stokes' departure to England, Rajasthan Royals organised a farewell for the English cricketer. In a video posted by RR on its Twitter handle, Sanju Samson and other team members seemed emotional. The RR skipper also handed a team jersey to Stokes with the name of his late father engraved on it. Ben Stokes lost his father in December 2020 after fighting a battle with brain cancer. 

Praising Stokes, Samson said, "It was very touching and heartbreaking to know that Stokes won't be there. But he is that kind of a person, even if he has a fracture, still he will definitely give everything to the team. The actions or the feelings are much stronger than the words. So I really respect him."

On the farewell, Stokes said, "Pretty devastated."

Ben Stokes sustained the injury while attempting to take Chris Gayle's catch but ended up with a broken finger on his left hand. Despite sustaining a finger fracture, the 29-year-old came out to bat for Rajasthan Royals and opened the innings with Manan Vohra. However, the English all-rounder could not have any influence as he was dismissed for a duck on the third ball of the Rajasthan's innings.

Rajasthan Royals take on Chennai Super Kings

Rajasthan Royals will take on Chennai Super Kings in the league match of IPL 2021 which will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Chennai Super Kings struggled in the first game, and they made a brilliant comeback in their next one. The same story goes for the RR as they suffered a defeat in their first game against Punjab Kings, however, they made a strong comeback and defeated Delhi Capitals in their next match. 

(Image Credits: @rajasthanroyals/Twitter/iplt20)