"Champion Under Pressure" - Fleming Heaps Praise On Ben Stokes

Stephen Fleming (Source: Twitter)

Ben Stokes starred with the bat as he guided England to their second T20 World Cup title with an unbeaten 52-run knock in a thrilling final at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday, November 13. 

Batting first, England restricted Pakistan 137/8 courtesy of Sam Curran's impressive figures of 3/12, but it was Ben Stokes, who played a flamboyant knock under pressure and stood firm to take his side across the finish line.

The former New Zealand captain and current Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming showered praises on the English all-rounder and called him a "champion under pressure" who is "forging a career where he is there at key moments." 

Here's what Fleming said on ESPNcricinfo's T20 Time Out show: 

"He's [Stokes] a big presence, he's a big personality and he's a big winner. And that's pretty key ingredients when you talk about a good to a great player." 

"What he is doing is forging a career where he is there at key moments. He has won Test matches on the last day single-handedly, he was there today. He has been in some unbelievable battles and you'd back him most times to win them." 

"So his temperament is so tested, and it comes through every time that you've got to say he's a champion under pressure. And there's not many that really rise to that occasion or on that occasion as much as he seems to do." 

Earlier, Sam Curran, who was adjudged both the Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament for his mind-boggling show throughout the tournament and against Pakistan in Melbourne, said that Ben Stokes was the correct choice for the Player of the Match award. 

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