Former India opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth heaped effusive praise on England and Rajasthan Royals (RR) all-rounder Ben Stokes ahead of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League in UAE, starting September 19. 

Srikkanth is excited to see what Stokes has in store for fans during the IPL 2020 in the Middle East where he will be hoping to play key part in Royals' campaign. 

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"Personally, I would have loved to see Ben Stokes in action. For someone who started as a bowler who could bat lower down, his progress to the top-order and his attitude at the crease is refreshing. To me he is the best allrounder in business by a country mile. That Stokes dominates in all three formats underlines his greatness," Srikkanth wrote in his column for the Times of India. 

"Not yet to be compared with the great allrounders of the past, Stokes has it in him to be counted as one of the best ever when he is done. The manner in which he shepherded the chase in the World Cup final or in the Test against Australia last season, Stokes also showed how strong he is mentally," he added. 

This will be Stokes' third successive season with Royals, who will want their premier all-rounder to come up with his best IPL tournament with both bat and ball. 

In overall 34 IPL games, including his maiden season for now-defunct Rising Pune Super Giants (RPSG) in 2017, Stokes has made 635 runs at a strike-rate of 132.01 and taken 26 wickets at an economy rate of 8.25. 

"As a bowler, Stokes is an honest trier and on the field he is simply electric. The balance he provides his team cannot be measured in mere numbers," wrote Srikkanth. 

"At a time when the world is not seeing many quality allrounders, Stokes is a breath of fresh air. I can’t wait to see him in action in the upcoming IPL," he added.