England all-rounder Ben Stokes became the IPL’s highest-paid overseas signing in 2017

Ben Stokes is one of the most sought-after players in franchise cricket purely based on his all-round skills. His ability to perform in crunch situations makes him a valuable asset for any side that he plays for. His worth is known to IPL franchises as well and this is the reason why he has attracted astronomical bids in the past. On this day in 2017, he became the highest-paid overseas signing in the IPL.

Rising Pune Supergiants raise the bar 

Rising Pune Supergiants was a newly introduced franchise in the league and they knew that they had to spend wisely to compete in the toughest franchise league in the world. To compete they needed players with an X-factor who could make a difference with their skills. The English all-rounder Ben Stokes suited the bill perfectly as he was one of the most impactful players around in international cricket. 

Stokes could play solely as a batter and as a bowler as well. The shortest format of the game demands players with multidimensional skills and Stokes was one such player. Multiple franchises were in the race for him in the auction which ignited a bidding war among the franchises. But the side that finished last in the previous season was more determined than any other franchises and chased the English all-rounder to the very extreme. 

They were closely followed by Sunrisers Hyderabad but Rising Pune Supergiants had an unwavering resolve and they finally won the race for Stokes. Pune spent a whopping 14.5 crore Indian Rupees to stamp their authority on Stokes’ sale. It was a historic exchange as no other overseas player had attracted such an astronomical bid. Ben Stokes described this bidding as ‘complete carnage’ as he had not expected such a high price tag for him. 

It is pertinent to note that Ben Stokes performed brilliantly for Rising Pune Supergiants that season as he scored 316 runs at a strike rate of 142.98 and picked up 12 wickets as well.