"Mumbai Indians could think about Ben Stokes" - Aakash Chopra ahead of IPL 2023 auction

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra feels five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI) might consider making a move for England's Test captain and T20 World Cup winner Ben Stokes in the IPL 2023 auction tomorrow.

MI have tried to sign Stokes in the past, but have lost in bidding wars. With the focus of the auction likely to be on names like Sam Curran and Cameron Green, Stokes might be one player who could perhaps not cost Mumbai a premium.

In a video on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra explained why MI should consider snapping up Ben Stokes. He said:

"I don't think Chennai Super Kings or Punjab Kings might want Ben Stokes. Mumbai Indians could think about Stokes if they can snap him up at around 8-10 crore."

---

SRH prime contenders to sign Ben Stokes: Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra also claimed that Stokes would be sold for the third-highest sum in the IPL 2023 auction. He feels that Stokes' role as a top-order batter and his leadership ability could entice Sunrisers Hyderabad, who need a player with a similar role, having let go of Kane Williamson.

Chopra also spoke about other teams who might take an interest in bidding for Stokes. On this, he stated:

"Stokes could be the third-most expensive player at the auction. Auction dynamics can often change a lot of things and inflate the prices. Sunrisers Hyderabad need a top-order batter and a captain so they will be prime contenders to go for Stokes.

"Even Delhi might feel the need to go for him if they don't get a quality all-rounder from elsewhere."

Current SRH squad: Rahul Tripathi, Washington Sundar, Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kartik Tyagi, T. Natarajan, Umran Malik, Aiden Markram, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Glenn Phillips, Marco Jansen.

Who will land Stokes in their team? Let us know in comments.