Can’t compare anyone in India to Stokes: Gambhir

New Delhi, July 26 (IANS) Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir has heaped praise on England talisman Ben Stokes, saying no one in India can be compared to the star all-rounder.

Stokes’ all-round display recently helped England level their ongoing three-Test series against the West Indies and his performances with bat, ball and on the field have caught the imagination of fans and pundits around the world.

“You can’t compare anyone in India at the moment to Ben Stokes. Absolutely not, because Ben Stokes is in his own league,” Gambhir said on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected.

“What he has done in Test cricket…what he has done in one-day cricket…what he has done in T20 cricket…I don’t think so there’s anyone, let alone in India, there isn’t anyone who’s even close to him in world cricket at the moment.

“And that is the kind of impact player you need in every line-up. It would be a dream for every captain to have someone like Ben Stokes — whether he’s batting, whether he’s bowling, whether he’s fielding — and he’s a leader in his own capacity,” he added.

Stokes was recently named as England’s captain for the first Test against the West Indies in the absence of regular skipper Joe Root.

Gambhir said that he doesn’t need the arm-band to become a leader in the team as his performances speak for themselves.

“You don’t have to be a leader to be a leader, you don’t need to be called a captain to be a captain. You can be a leader by your own performances as well,” Gambhir said.

“So, I think there are a lot of guys who would be actually looking to be like Ben Stokes, but unfortunately, there’s no one at the moment like him in world cricket,” he added.

Stokes recently surpassed West Indies Test skipper Jason Holder to become the world’s top-ranked all-rounder in the longest format while also attaining a career-best third position among batsmen in the latest ICC rankings.

–IANS

pks/arm