Gerard Stokes and Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes had double cause for celebration recently – first, he hammered his first Indian Premier League century (103 not out against Gujarat Lions), and then, his father, whom he hadn’t seen in two years, paid him a surprise visit here in Mumbai.
Stokes posted this picture on Twitter yesterday with the message: “Haven’t seen my Dad in nearly 2 years, then all of a sudden he turns up to the hotel in Mumbai along with my Uncle and little Cousin…..didn’t really know what to do #family.”
Stokes’ father, Gerard, a former English rugby league player, apparently suddenly turned up behind his son at the team hotel’s bar.
The England all-rounder had no about the surprise planned for him by his agent and Rising Pune Supergiant team management. “He was taken aback,” said Gerard, who lives in New Zealand with Ben’s mother, Deb. “Ben is a big star in India, but no matter what he does at cricket, he’s still our son and we miss him,” he added.