‘Even without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, you can never take the Indian team lightly’: Ben Stokes | Cricket news

England cricket captain Ben Stokes believes that India will become a malignant rival in the upcoming five-observant series starting from June 20, despite the absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who recently retired from Test cricket. Speaking in a video released by England and Wales Cricket Board, the 33-year-old all-rounder, who is returning after Hamstring Surgery, praised India’s deep batting lineup, acknowledging the impact of losing two cricket great ones.Both Kohli and Sharma announced their retirement from Test cricket earlier this month, marking the end of an era in Indian cricket.Stokes insisted on India’s depth of batting based on its Indian Premier League experience.“One thing about India is that the batsmen have their battery; this is just incredible. The time I spent in the IPL have found the batsmen leaving from there … Can’t say a word on it in this interview, but you know what I mean,” Stokes said.“You can never take any Indian team lightly, even if they are without their two great batsmen.”Quiz: Who is that IPL player?The England captain emphasized the importance of putting early pressure on India in test matches.He said, “We always get out of the opposition at the beginning of the Test match and then see how we adapt throughout the game because it moves forward. But I know they (India) have got two big retirees. They have been such a important part of the Indian team and have all the success,” he said.STox especially highlighted Kohli’s influence on Indian cricket and his personal praise for the former Indian captain.“What India will remember, perhaps their fighting spirit in the game, their competition, desire to win. They have made number 1 (jersey), what is not that? Therefore, we have not seen the number 1 behind any Indian shirt. It is not a shame to play against them because we both play against each other, we both have the same mind in this field.”

He further praised Kohli’s contribution to the game.“He has been incredible. There is no doubt that there has been a lot of praise for him in India, here the players have definitely been praised for him. He has really done well against England … he is a class player, “Stokes said.The England captain particularly recalled Kohli’s signature shot.“(That) just wow. He is probably someone who will remember how hard he kills the ball through the cover. He will be the cover drive one.”Looking forward to the summer series, Stokes accepted further challenges.“It’s going to be a long tough heat. Five Test matches are always, always against India and tomorrow (one-half test against Zimbabwe) is the beginning of tone settings.”

Regarding his return from injury, Stokes provided an update on his recovery progress.“Very excited to go. The final game was in December. Everything is really well gone. I worked hard to reach where I am. There is a lot of enthusiasm around me, coming back to the field.”