'He has never realized his potential in the IPL' - Matthew Hayden makes bold claim regarding Ben Stokes ahead of IPL 2023

Former Australian cricketer and CSK opener Matthew Hayden has made a bold claim regarding star English all-rounder Ben Stokes, who was roped in by four-time champions Chennai Super Kings in the auction last December. 

Ben Stokes was roped in by CSK for a record-shattering INR 16.25 crore, the highest in the history of the franchise. His arrival will be a big boost for the franchise as they bid farewell to the iconic Dwayne Bravo ahead of the 16th edition of the tournament.

The English Test skipper made his IPL debut in 2017 and was quite influential in the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant's run through the final. However, former CSK opening batter Matthew Hayden feels that the English talisman has failed to live up to his reputation in the Indian Premier League. But he feels that his reunion with CSK skipper MS Dhoni can make him the 'X factor' in the upcoming season.

"Stokes will be the X factor for CSK, who has never realised his potential in the IPL and he is one of those players and we see him play all over the world. Now, under a CSK regime where it's all about cricket I think that he's got a big chance to be the X factor this season," Hayden said to Star Sports.

For me the player to watch out for is always Jadeja: Hayden 

On the topic of CSK's most important player, Hayden overlooked both Stokes and Dhoni, naming Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja as his 'trump card'. The Australian icon feels that Jadeja's performance will hold the key for the Chennai-based franchise this season after a troublesome 2022 resulted in disappointment for both the player and the franchise.

"For me the player to watch out for is always Jadeja. He is a quality all-rounder. CSK have got some world-class all-rounders, including who they've signed now - Ben Stokes. But with Jaddu at the best of his best, he can really drive a great outcome for CSK, this season," he added.

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