Stokes and Rahul open up: cricket rivalry and what fans don’t see
They’re superstars with millions of fans, yet barely known outside their sport. What drives them? Cricket icons KL Rahul and Ben Stokes open up on pressure, pride, and their fierce rivalry.
Cricket may not make headlines everywhere, but in countries like India, Australia, Pakistan and the UK the sport captivates millions with the intensity of a World Cup final, elevating players to near-mythical status. Few shine brighter than India’s KL Rahul and England’s Ben Stokes. The Red Bulletin meets these cricket stars on a remote airstrip near Mumbai – rivals on the field and icons to millions worldwide. Both are key figures in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the world’s richest and most-watched cricket tournament, where international stars battle it out in high-stakes franchise matches. Their rivalry, though, stretches back long before the IPL spotlight – to 2010, when they first faced off at the Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.
It's a day they both remember well. "He got me out and then scored 100," laughs Rahul, who's won more than 200 caps for India across Test, 50-over and Twenty20 cricket.
This is a world away from the adulation that both men receive when they walk out onto the park for a match in the IPL. Its 18th edition is in full swing at venues up and down India, and the league boasts matches that are played in front of packed stadiums and a global audience of billions.
The previous day, in a taxi from Mumbai International Airport to Aamby Valley City – a punishing drive of switchbacks, traffic jams and the occasional unplanned stop to let livestock cross the road – The Red Bulletin receives a grounding in just what the IPL means to the people of India.
The Mumbai Indians are the local side in the state of Maharashtra. But unlike English football, which is still primarily governed by geographical proximity and family ties, the IPL is an illustration of the impact that individual stars have in dictating supporter loyalty.
"For me, there is only player: the flashing blade of Virat Kohli," our driver told us, smiling broadly and removing his hands from the wheel to essay an off-drive in the manner of India’s most famous modern-day batter. "So, for me, there is only one team: RCB [Royal Challengers Bengaluru]."
Bangaluru is almost 1,000km from Mumbai and an 18-hour drive. This reflects the importance of cricket's biggest stars in marketing the competition and turning it into the $12 billion USD giant it is today. It also demonstrates the world that Rahul and Stokes inhabit every time they walk to the crease and the profile that both players enjoy in the country.
Between them, the athletes have played for eight IPL franchises. Rahul has just become the fastest man to notch up 5,000 runs in the competition, while Stokes's enormous auction fees for joining the Chennai Super Kings and the Rising Pune Supergiant remain in the top 15 of the competition's most expensive-ever signings.
These are two of the most recognised cricketers on the planet and will once again be lining up against each other for a Test series that looks set to capture the imagination in England this summer. But how do these giants of their sport cope with everything it throws at them, and, in a world where cricket has changed beyond all recognition in the past 20 years, what do they believe the future holds? In a rare break from life in the fast lane of sport superstardom, they compare notes.
What was it about cricket that first made you fall in love with the sport?
Ben Stokes:I was from a sporty family. Cricket and rugby are both big sports in New Zealand [where Stokes was born and lived until the age of 12], so it was just always there, easily accessible. I had a cricket ground just a five or 10-minute walk from my house in Christchurch and it was the same [when we moved to] Wellington as well. My main memory as a kid was just being completely obsessed with sport.
Rahul KL:I don't know what first made me pick up a bat as a child. All I know is my parents tell me that as soon as I could walk, I would be all around the house with one in my hand. I would make my dad throw balls at me, my mum throw balls at me, my sister throw balls at me. Anyone who came home, I would have them chuck a ball in my direction. It was just something I was naturally drawn towards. Ever since then, I've been in love with this sport.
Can you still remember your first game?
Rahul KL:Absolutely! My first major game was when I was 11-years-old. I travelled from Mangalore to Bangalore for an Under-13 selection game and scored 26 runs in both innings. I remember my second game, too, because I got 100! I always wanted to be a cricketer, but I didn't know if I had the skills or the talent to play professionally in a country like India, which has so many talented players – especially when you come from a small town with no history of guys who had played cricket at any significant level.
I told myself that I was going to dedicate every moment I had to making it in the sport. I would be up at 5am to practise. I had to: my parents weren't super-strict when I was growing up, but they had a few rules and they told me that if my grades started going down they would pull the plug on cricket. I had to find a way of combining both. When you're 10 or 11, you don’t care about sleeping anyway, do you? You'd be awake for 24 hours, seven days in a row, if you needed to.
Ben Stokes:I remember bits and bobs from playing junior cricket – it was shorts and a white shirt back then in New Zealand, no coloured clothing. When I moved to England, playing sport definitely helped me to settle more quickly. If you've got something outside of education where you spend time with people, it does create a bond. The group I hung around with were all into cricket and rugby and, being sporty myself, it was another way of making friends. The cricket team at school were all pretty much the same as the club team I played for in Cockermouth [in Cumbria]. It's a small town and everyone knows everyone, but there's no such thing as a local celebrity there. I don't get back that often, but when I do it's same old, 'Alright, Ben, what have you been up to?' I'm treated the same way as everyone else.
Do you think the experience of being a high-profile cricketer in England differs from that of being a player at the same level in India?
Ben Stokes:In England, you get recognised quite a lot, but it's quite chilled being in the north east [Stokes lives in County Durham]. It’s probably the easiest part of the UK for me to live, because I tend to just go to the same places all the time. London can be a bit more hectic, obviously.
When I was young, all I wanted to do was be a professional cricketer – I had huge ambitions to play for England. As soon as you do that, as soon as you play a lot of games for your country, you're going to get recognised. That's a natural by-product of success and it comes hand-in-hand with your dreams. You have to take the rough with the smooth and there will be a part of you saying, 'Well, this is what you wanted'. It is what it is. Sometimes it works in your favour and sometimes it can be frustrating.
Ben, did you find the level of scrutiny changed when you arrived as a player in India?
Ben Stokes:100 per cent. It changes as soon as you get off the plane. India is cricket-mad, it's a religion out here. If I had any advice to give to someone who's come to India for the first time as a professional cricketer, it would be to keep your head down and keep moving. The likes of Virat [Kohli], [Rohit] Sharma, KL, all the guys who are absolute superstars out here, you can't just live a normal life. If you need something at the shop, you can’t just hop in a car and head to the supermarket.
KL, there's a big spotlight on any player who excels in your sport in India. What’s the key to adapting to that?
Rahul KL:For me, I think the key to everything is to remember who you truly are. Looking at the athletes I've met and interacted with, I don't think they're still the person they were when they first started playing cricket and broke into the India team. A lot changes over time. You're exposed to a lot of things and you can get beaten down on a daily basis if you're playing all three formats. It's something you have to go through. You can forget who are and what truly gives you the joy and fun of playing sport.
What have you found is the best way to avoid that?
Rahul KL:The people who can come out of that mental space and focus on what's truly important are the guys who can find time to do the things they enjoy and be themselves as much as possible. They're the people who are happy, the ones who are in the right space. It can be hard to find a balance, but there is help if you want it. I've got no shame in saying that I've worked with mental health coaches and therapists. I've found help. There have been times when I've felt like I didn't know what to do and how to handle myself. But if you want to get physically stronger, you go to the gym; if you want to get better at cricket, you find a coach and you put in the hours. It's the same principle for looking after your mental strength as well.
Is that part of the game spoken about in the dressing room?
Rahul KL:Definitely. I think with the IPL you also have the opportunity to speak to players who are going through the same journey. There's so much in common with everyone who has played this sport and the things we go through. You realise that you're not the only one and you help each other out with certain things.
Ben Stokes:If I can chip in there, I think that's one of the really great things about the IPL. It's helped to develop relationships between nations. Before, there was none of that. There was no mingling between international players from one country and players from another outside of a series. That has changed completely. The game has just completely opened up and I think that's a hugely positive thing.
What about the future of the sport on the pitch? T20 cricket is huge around the world now, so can it co-exist with Test cricket?
Ben Stokes:I think Test cricket is the pinnacle and I think you’ll hear everyone say that. Anyone who says that Test cricket is dying is completely wrong. When you look at the opportunities that the sport now offers people, the opportunity that it offers to play in different competitions and in different countries, I can only see it getting bigger and bigger as time goes on. In the next 20 years, it’s going to be exciting to see where cricket can go. 20 years ago, the landscape was completely different to the landscape now. I think cricket itself is probably a bit unsure of its direction of travel, but I wouldn’t say that was scary, I’d say that was exciting.
Rahul KL:When you’re a kid growing up, Test cricket is the format you dream of playing the most and I think that’s still the case. The challenge of playing against the best cricketers over five days in different conditions – there's nothing like that. It’s probably one of the most unique challenges in sport.
Cricket itself is probably a bit unsure of its direction of travel, but I wouldn't say that was scary, I'd say that was exciting
Ben, your son plays rugby and your daughter has just taken part in the Cheerleading World Championships in the US – what kind of father are you on the touchline or in an audience?
Ben Stokes:My son loves rugby and I'm buzzing about that. I love going down there to watch him play and train on a Sunday, and I'll be there walking up and down the touchline. It's full contact and a lot of the players are at an age when they understand that they're not going to get hurt if they make a tackle. I say to Layton, 'You see the biggest guy on the field? Try and smash him.' I'm not a parent who shouts from the sidelines. We've got this thing where he just looks at me and he can tell if I think he's playing well or whether I think he needs to get stuck in a bit more. And I've just got back from watching my daughter [Libby] compete in the World Championships in Florida. She's definitely inherited my commitment. She won’t stop until she's hit what she needs to do and it's perfect.
KL, you’ve just become a father for the first time, so you have all this to come…
Rahul KL:Yes, I've only just had a baby, so it's been very hard to leave her behind. My mind is always thinking about what she's doing and about everything I can do to keep my family happy and provide for them.
The two of you first played against each other at the Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2010. What advice would you give your teenage selves?
Rahul KL:I'd say, 'Go easy on yourself in life and in cricket. Have fun playing the game, make sure you're still that kid who first picked up that bat all those years ago and keep doing that for as long as possible.' I would beat myself up far too much when I was coming through as a young cricketer.
Ben Stokes:I'd say, 'You’re going to have more bad days than good days, so just deal with it.'
England are up against India in the men’s Test series this summer, so what can we expect?
Rahul KL:As a cricketer, this is one of the series' you really look forward to. Playing in England, in front of huge crowds and at some of the most famous grounds in the world, is something special.
Ben Stokes:Both teams take huge pride in this series. We were disappointed, very disappointed, with our showing back in the series in India [England lost 4-1 in India in 2023-24], but we're very confident that we can put on a better show at home than we did then.
KL Rahul and Ben Stokes take on wild cricket challenge you have to see
