Million-dollar Stokes delivers for Pune again

new delhi — Rising Pune Supergiant’s record-breaking investment in Ben Stokes has paid dividends, with the England allrounder delivering a blistering maiden Twenty20 century to secure his Indian Premier League team a crucial victory.

Stokes — whose $2.16 million contract broke the IPL signing record for a foreign player — hit an unbeaten 63-ball 103 during the Supergiant’s five-wicket win over the Gujarat Lions on Monday.

“He’s done a terrific job for us. We paid a big amount to get him. We know he’s a quality player. (He) certainly earned his cash tonight,” Supergiant captain Steve Smith said of their star performer after the win.

The left-handed batsman, who came into bat with Pune precariously placed at 10 for three, put on a 76run fifth-wicket partnership with Mahendra Singh Dhoni who made 26. Supergiant chased down their 162-run target with a ball to spare to keep in the top half of the league’s eight-team ranking. Stokes, who has won three man-of-the-match awards in eight IPL matches this season, smashed seven fours and six sixes in front of a raucous home crowd.

“Allrounders are so valuable in T20 cricket and he bats, bowls and fields well. He’s a perfect fit for our team, particularly after Mitchell Marsh was ruled out as well,” said Smith. “We were very excited to get him. I had said before the auction to the guys (owners) just do what you have to get him.”

Local media were amused by Pune’s desperation in February’s players auction to land the 25-yearold who was famously clobbered for four successive sixes by West Indies’ Carlos Brathwaite in the final of last year’s World Twenty20 at Eden Gardens.

But the league’s most expensive overseas player smashed a fifty in his second outing and won his first two man-of-the-match awards with clever bowling against Royal Challengers Bangalore and table-toppers Mumbai Indians.