Quality player, been through tough time: Steve Smith excited for Ben Stokes' return to IPL

Rajasthan Royals captain Steve Smith welcomed Ben Stokes to the RR squad with the ace England all-rounder set to arrive in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) tonight for the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020. RR has been without Stokes so far in the tournament as the all-rounder decided to miss the first few games of IPL 2020 to stay with his ailing father in New Zealand. 

After the toss in the match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals, Smith was asked about the return of Stokes as the RR captain lauded him as a “quality player” who would bolster the squad. 

Notably, Stokes had left from England mid-way during the home series against Pakistan to be with his family in New Zealand. Now, Stokes will have to serve the mandatory six-day quarantine period before entering the Rajasthan Royals bubble and the squad. Stokes has been practicing in Christchurch as suggested by his Instagram activities. 

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"Yeah it's nice. He is a quality player. Our thoughts are being with him, he is gone through a pretty tough time. He certainly adds to our squad when he gets here," Smith said.

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Meanwhile, Smith won the toss and opted to bat first given the hot and humid conditions in Abu Dhabi. 

"We'll bat first. It's a day game, pretty warm out here, so we want to bat first and set a target," Smith said.

Even RCB captain Virat Kohli wanted to bat first but praised the youngsters in his team for stepping up in every situation so far in the tournament. 

"It's good to see the youngsters doing the job for us, that's what we have focused on. Dube contributing, Chahal's always a banker and AB does what he is good at doing," Kohli said.