"It's completely in Mahi bhai's mind. He will use him really well" - Ajinkya Rahane on Ben Stokes' role in CSK for IPL 2023

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opening batter Ajinkya Rahane believes that skipper MS Dhoni will have certainly decided on a role according to the skillsets offered by Ben Stokes in the playing XI.

The England all-rounder will feature as a pure batter in the initial set of games for the franchise, which leaves the probing question of his batting position.

Largely a middle-order batter in Tests and ODIs when he used to play the 50-over format, teams have extracted the most out of Stokes' potential by thrusting him at the top of the order. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) reaped the benefit of his batting skills against the new ball while the England national team did the same recently.

With CSK already having a plethora of options at the top, Rahane was questioned how Dhoni would utilize a player with the caliber of Stokes.

Ahead of the franchise's opening encounter against GT in Ahmedabad, the veteran Indian batter told reporters:

"You will see how Mahi bhai uses him. It's completely in Mahi bhai's mind. He will use him really well."

The England Test captain, who skipped the IPL 2022 mega auction, was roped in by the four-time IPL champions during the mini-auction. He became the franchise's most expensive acquisition, with the winning bid being a whopping ₹16.25 crore.

Stokes is currently battling a recurring knee injury which will curb him from bowling, at least at the start of the tournament. He is also likely to keep an eye on his workload, given that he has to lead the England side in the Ashes series in June, right after the culmination of the IPL.

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"Whenever I get an opportunity I will give my best" - Ajinkya Rahane

The Mumbai-born batter is likely to be confined to the bench for the majority of the season, with CSK having a well-settled opening pair of Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad.

While the pair had their ebbs and flows last season, they looked like a formidable duo during instances where things clicked for them.

Stating that he will give his best when given an opportunity by the management, Rahane said:

"I have always been an opener. I have always opened the batting in the T20 format, so not much of a difference in my role."

Rahane continued:

Still, whatever the management and captain asks me to do, I am always open to doing it. For me, it's always about the team, so whenever I get an opportunity I will give my best."

CSK will take on defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) in the opening encounter of the 2023 IPL on Friday, March 31, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad,

Where will Ben Stokes bat for CSK in IPL 2023? Let us know what you think.