The upcoming match against South Africa in Mumbai on Saturday holds immense importance for England. A loss in this fixture could potentially require England to win all their remaining matches to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
South Africa, who convincingly won their first two games against Sri Lanka and Australia, faced an unexpected setback with a defeat to the Netherlands. Stokes, who serves as the Test captain, addressed the group after their loss, emphasizing the importance of focusing forward and remaining resolute in the competition.
Stokes's return to the England side carries significant weight, given his history of delivering standout performances in crucial moments.
He was named the Player of the Match in the final during England's victory in the 2019 World Cup against New Zealand and played a pivotal role in their T20 World Cup triumph last year.
Stokes, however, downplayed the notion that his return is the sole catalyst for success. He stressed, “No-one looks to one person in this team to inspire them or anything like that. Everyone that walks out onto that field for England is a match-winner and can do something individually that can win us a game. We just need to tone it down a bit on me coming back in.”
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