IPL 2017 Final: RPS coach Stephen Fleming suggests Ben Stokes’ presence could’ve made a difference
Rising Pune Supergiant coach Stephen Fleming was a disappointed man at the end of the day. That his team lost a low-scoring game against Mumbai Indians in the IPL final which they could have won after being in the driver’s seat all throughout, was the reason for his disappointment.
While Pune played the big game true to their potential with minimum resources, but what they missed the most was the absence of their English all-rounder Ben Stokes.
Stokes who had been a valuable player for Pune with both bat and ball throughout out the league had to return for his national commitments.
“We would have loved having Ben Stokes the full time but we knew he would not be there full time. We did not spend too much time lamenting that. From his point of view, he would have loved this situation. He is a big game player. Playing in the final, whatever competition it is, it is special,” Fleming told the media after the final game.
The former New Zealand skipper said that they missed Stokes, the batsman, more in the low scoring game. “We were happy. The way we bowled was very good. Chasing 129 in a final, it was …read more