BBL 2026-27: Ben Stokes set to open for Adelaide Strikers, says Paine

Adelaide Strikers head coach Tim Paine hinted that former England skipper Ben Stokes will be the opening batter for the team during the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) season. Stokes has signed for the entire 2026-27 season.

Adelaide Strikers (AS) head coach Tim Paine hinted that former England skipper Ben Stokes will be taking the opening batter role for the team during the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) season.Adelaide Strikers announced the signing of Stokes, who had recently retired from international cricket for the 2026-27 BBL season. Stokes will be available for the entire 2026-27 season and is the first overseas player to sign since the BBL's new contracting structure was confirmed last week, as per Cricinfo. The BBL 2026-27 season will begin on December 12, with Melbourne Renegades taking on Perth Scorchers in Chennai. The regular season will conclude on January 17, followed by the finals, which will be played from January 19 to January 26.

Stokes 'made to open' in Big Bash: Paine

Speaking to reporters, Paine said, as quoted by Cricinfo, that Stokes gives the team a lot of flexibility and the pacy and bouncy wickets of Australia could be suitable for him. "Stokes gives us a lot of flexibility. I think initially my chats around how we would use him would probably be opening the batting. I think he's made to open the batting in Big Bash. I think the pacy, bouncy wickets in Australia really suit him," he said."I have been on the end of a couple of these devastating innings in Test cricket where you feel like you cannot defend the field. He can play 360 degrees. He has got power. He has got some real class," he added.Only 16 of Stokes' 148 T20 innings have come as an opener, but he has his best strike rate and average at that position, with 36.53 and a strike rate of 138.48. One of his two centuries in the format came as an opener, an unbeaten 107* for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2020, but most of his outings have been at number three, four and five. Stokes' last played a T20 in 2024 The Hundred, scoring just four runs in three innings."I think he can do a terrific job opening the batting," Paine said. "Playing pretty normally, as we have seen in the past, he can flick a switch, and he has got amazing power. His skill level with the bat and his play of spin, he has just a well-rounded, world-class batter. We think that is probably the best fit for him and for us," he added.

Paine praises all-round ability

Paine said that Stokes could "surprise people" with the ball, with his pace and swing. "He is a bit quicker than people think. He has got great skill. He can swing the ball both ways. We feel like we can use him in all phases of the game with the ball as well. He will impact in the field with his athleticism and just the way he competes," he added.

'Ticks all the boxes': Stokes' off-field impact

Stokes' coming could also boost BBL's fan engagement and overall interest and hype around the league, as Paine said, " He is someone that's always drawn a lot of attention because of his personality and the way he plays the game. I think we have seen in the last 24 hours just how much light he has shone on the Big Bash just with his announcement. I am sure that will only magnify when he lands in Adelaide and when he starts playing well and scoring runs and taking wickets.""We have been going about a list strategy for the last two years and then find out two weeks ago that you do not have to sign overseas players and you can just do whatever you like" "There is some intangible stuff with Stokesy as well, I think, around his leadership, his presence and commercially and fan engagement. So there is not that many players I would not have thought out in the world that tick all of those boxes and are still at a really high level as a cricketer. So, yeah, we made that decision pretty quickly and pursued him quite aggressively," he signed off.

A decorated career

Across his international career, Stokes has amassed more than 11,000 runs, including career-best scores of 258 in Test cricket and 182 in One Day Internationals, while registering 19 international centuries. In the IPL, Stokes has registered two T20 centuries, including an unbeaten 107 from 60 deliveries for Rajasthan Royals in 2020 and 103 from 63 balls for Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017. With the ball, he has claimed 352 international wickets, highlighted by career-best figures of 6/22.Widely regarded as one of the most influential cricketers of his generation, the 35-year-old Englishman has forged a remarkable international career spanning more than 15 years, earning a reputation for producing match-winning performances with both bat and ball on the sport's biggest stages.The fiercely competitive all-rounder has consistently performed on the biggest stages in world cricket. His unbeaten 84 in England's dramatic 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup Final victory over New Zealand helped force a Super Over, ultimately securing England's maiden ODI World Cup title. (ANI)(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)