Melbourne, Sept. 2 -- Adelaide Strikers (AS) head coach Tim Paine hinted that former England skipper Ben Stokes will be taking the opening batter role for the team during the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) season.

Adelaide Strikers announced the signing of Stokes, who had recently retired from international cricket for the 2026-27 BBL season. Stokes will be available for the entire 2026-27 season and is the first overseas player to sign since the BBL's new contracting structure was confirmed last week, as per Cricinfo. The BBL 2026-27 season will begin on December 12, with Melbourne Renegades taking on Perth Scorchers in Chennai. The regular season will conclude on January 17, followed by the finals, which will be played from January 19 ...