England’s star all-rounder Ben Stokes's struggle to hit his first six in the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) sustained on Thursday as the Englishman failed to hit one against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Ben, known for huge hits, has now played 103 balls over five matches, bagging 110 runs at an average of 22 runs. Although he has managed to hit 14 fours, he is yet to hit a six. Apart from Ben Stokes another big-hitter to fail in the league is Glenn Maxwell. The Kings XI Punjab batsman has faced 87 deliveries without hitting a six. He has managed to score 90 runs with just eight fours.
Talking about Ben Stokes, who joined the tournament late as he was with his ailing father in New Zealand, tried a few shots on Thursday. The hero of the Final at last 2019’s World Cup has a highest score of 41 in the tournament. He has bowled just six overs this season so far, putting questions over his value.
Before the tournament started, he had 102 sixes in 123 T20 games. Last IPL season too, he managed to hit just four sixes in nine matches. Stokes this year has opened in all five matches he has played, scoring 110 runs in 103 balls. There can be multiple reasons why the all-rounder hasn't impressed as an opener. For one, he has been batting out of the place. He doesn't open for his international team in any format. In white-ball cricket, his role for England wavers between a middle-order controller and a finisher.
