Ben Stokes' unexpected move in IPL raises eyebrows ahead of Ashes

England Test captain Ben Stokes has turned heads in the cricket world after making an earlier-than-expected return to bowling in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The all-rounder took the new ball in a 12-run home win for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) against the Lucknow Super Giants, just four days into the new season.

Stokes has been carefully managing an ongoing knee complaint and was only expected to feature for CSK as a specialist batter early in the new IPL season, with one eye firmly on the Ashes series against Australia later in the year. The England skipper's knee injury flared up during the recent tour of New Zealand, with England's cricket board working closely with his IPL franchise to manage the 31-year-old's workload.

NOT GOOD: Cameron Green suffers brutal debut baptism in IPL

OUCH: Cricket Australia still without major sponsor amid Cummins drama

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) did not go as far as preventing Stokes from taking up his lucrative deal with CSK, but officials will no doubt be monitoring his fitness closely. CSK batting coach Mike Hussey confirmed as much last week, where he reaffirmed the suggestion that Stokes was unlikely to feature as a bowler this early in the season.

“The physios from Chennai and the ECB are working pretty closely together," Hussey said. “This franchise is very professional and works very closely with all the national boards.

“He's ready to go as a batsman from the start, the bowling might be wait and see. I know he had his first very light bowl this week since he had his injections in his knee.

"My understanding is he won't be bowling much at all in the first few games of the tournament, or it might be a few weeks, I'm not 100 per cent sure. But hopefully we'll get him bowling at some stage in the tournament.”

Stokes dropped a hint before his side's match against Lucknow that he was ahead of schedule as far as returning to the bowling ranks was concerned. “Everything is coming on nicely. I feel like I’ve worked really hard to get to the place where I am at the moment with my knee," he said before the match. “I think I might be able to turn the arm over tonight.”

True to his word, Stokes did end up taking the new ball for CSK and was belted for 18 runs in his first over against the Super Giants. The shock move caused a fair bit of consternation for England fans worried about what effect it might have on his body ahead of the Ashes series, which gets underway in just over two months.

CSK down Lucknow in IPL slug-fest

CSK posted this season's highest IPL total of 7-217-7, before Ali reined in Kyle Mayers' swashbuckling 53 with an impressive 4-26 as Lucknow were restricted to 7-205 in reply. "A terrific game," Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. "The fast bowling will need to slightly improve, and bowl according to the conditions."

Mayers clubbed eight boundaries and two sixes in a devastating 22-ball knock against the likes of seamers Deepak Chahar, Stokes and impact player Tushar Deshpande. But Mayers fell when he swept Moeen and was caught head high by Devon Conway at deep midwicket. Moeen also claimed captain Lokesh Rahul and Krunal Pandya as he took three wickets in his first three overs.

Together with Mitchell Santner, who took 1-21 in four overs, they put the brakes on Lucknow's chase. Moeen capped his own brilliant four-over spell when he knocked back Marcus Stoinis's leg stump for 21, off 18 balls. Nicholas Pooran, with 32 off 18 balls, threatened briefly but was caught at long off by Stokes in the 16th over and Lucknow fell short of a big target.

Earlier, Ruturaj Gaikwad followed a 92 against Gujarat with another whirlwind start of 57 off 31 balls. Gaikwad featured in the IPL's fifth fastest century opening stand when he and Conway combined for a rampaging 110 runs off 55 balls.

Conway made 47 off 29. Both openers departed in consecutive overs but Ambati Rayudu, an unbeaten 27 off 14 balls, and Dhoni, who smashed two key sixes off the three balls he faced, propelled Chennai past 200.

with AAP

Sign up to our newsletter and score the biggest sport stories of the week.