Cricket
KL Rahul and Ben Stokes take on a wild cricket challenge you have to see
Cricketing superstars Ben Stokes and KL Rahul team up to tackle extreme batting challenges off the pitch – can they master it together?
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England and India share one of cricket’s fiercest rivalries, with stars like England captain Ben Stokes and India’s wicket-keeper-batter KL Rahul often going head-to-head on the field. Recently however these two stars had to do something different – team up. In the Ultimate Cricket Challenge, Stokes and Rahul faced-off in some of the wildest batting trials you've ever seen. From hitting on a moving truck to batting on a floating pitch, they had to bring precision, power and quick thinking, without the usual rules or bowlers.
It was a chance to see these fierce rivals work together under pressure, showing a side of their game fans rarely get to see.
Check out the full challenge now on Red Bull’s YouTube.
Traditionally, cricket is played on a flat, grassy oval where a batter faces a bowler delivering balls at high speed. The goal is to score runs while defending a set of stumps - three vertical posts behind them known collectively as the wicket. It's a game of intense strategy, technical skill and precision, played under set rules, conditions and in historic stadiums around the world.
The Ultimate Cricket Challenge flipped the traditional game on its head. For Ben Stokes and KL Rahul, it meant stepping out of the usual cricket ground and into wild settings like moving trucks, floating pitches and enclosed arenas. The challenge wasn't about runs, it was about smashing targets, syncing with a team-mate and thinking fast in ways cricket rarely asks for.
A legendary collaboration between Ben Stokes and KL Rahul
© Ali Bharmal/Red Bull Content Pool
What was it about cricket that made Ben Stokes and KL Rahul fall in love with the sport? The cricket superstars open up about their career journey in an exclusive interview on RedBull.com.
Challenge 1: Move the truck
India's cricket superstar KL Rahul atop a moving truck
© Ali Bharmal / Red Bull Content Pool
Perched atop an 18-wheel articulated truck, KL Rahul faced the first task: using the power of his shots to move the vehicle forward over a 500-metre course. Armed with just eight deliveries from a bowling machine and no margin for error, the Indian batter brought his signature timing and control to an entirely unfamiliar stage.
Widely regarded as one of the finest batsmen in the modern game, Rahul has spent over a decade representing India on every surface and under every pressure, but striking from the roof of a moving truck was a first, even for him.
Challenge 2: Floating pitch
Ben Stokes on a floating pitch
© Ali Bharmal / Red Bull Content Pool
Next came Ben Stokes, standing on a floating pitch in the middle of a lake. His mission: hit six floating targets using balls that had to be lofted high and dropped from above to register a hit. Known for his 360-degree power hitting and ability to deliver under pressure, Stokes deployed his trademark ingenuity, launching balls in steep arcs to land flush on target.
Challenge 3: Escape rooms
Can KL Rahul and Ben Stokes make it out?
© Ali Bharmal/Red Bull Content Pool
The two stars then joined forces in an enclosed escape room-style arena where timing, reflexes and teamwork were critical. From dealing with unpredictable ball deliveries to demonstrating their reactive hand-eye coordination on pitches made of varying surfaces, the pair had to adapt rapidly to complete the task and earn their exit from each of the four uniquely designed rooms.
Despite both being far outside their comfort zones, they passed each test with skill and composure, transforming from adversaries into allies in a sporting spectacle that was as eccentric as it was elite.
Challenge 4: Final boss
Rival cricket stars Ben Stokes and KL Rahul teamed up
© Ali Bharmal / Red Bull Content Pool
Their final challenge - dubbed the Final Boss - pitted them against a swarm of moving targets, including one suspended from a drone, swinging laterally in the air. With every wave of pitch invaders, Rahul and Stokes had to coordinate their shots and cover each other's blind spots, hitting with precision and tempo until the last target was smashed. Despite both being far outside their comfort zones, they passed each test with skill and composure, transforming from adversaries into allies in a sporting spectacle that was as eccentric as it was elite.
"With each station and each challenge, this project kept hitting me and Ben with something harder," said KL Rahul. "I knew that if the pressure is on and you need anyone in the world in your team, it would be Ben Stokes; so I was happy to have him and he made the challenges a lot easier."
KL Rahul swings big
© Ali Bharmal / Red Bull Content Pool
I knew that if the pressure is on and you need anyone in the world in your team, it would be Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes and KL Rahul are usually on opposite sides of the pitch
© Ali Bharmal / Red Bull Content Pool
Ben Stokes added: "I had no idea what we were going to be doing, so that was a real nice surprise. It was cool to be able to share a day and get some content together, something that we don't really get to do that often."
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