England Test captain Ben Stokes has suffered a series of injury setbacks that have affected his cricketing career. Persistent discomfort in his knees and toes forced him to miss most of the game. Indian Premier League 2023 (IPL) season, leaving him on the bench for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). His injury problems worsened during Englandโs third Test against New Zealand in hamiltonwhere he suffered a left hamstring injury that required surgery. The 33-year-old has provided an update on his recovery, but the news may leave fans concerned about his future fitness.
Ben Stokes sheds light on his hamstring injury through social media post
During the Hamilton Test against New Zealand, Stokes bowled a total of 36.2 overs for his team. This was the most deliveries by an England Test captain since June 2022. However, England faced a double upset in the final match of the series as they were defeated by the home team by 423 runs and their captain suffered a major injury. Stokes suffered another hamstring injury in the same leg while playing in The Hundred in August last year.
Embarking on a long road to recovery, Stokes provided an update on his injury situation before undergoing surgery through a social media post in which he mockingly called himself โThe bionic manโ. The England captain was expected to undergo surgery this month and has already ruled out cricket for the next three months.
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Ben Stokes has had surgery on his left hamstring tear ๐ค
Rest and see you soon. @benstokes38 ๐ดโฅโฅโฅโฅโฅโฅโฅโฅ๐ pic.twitter.com/o0c3QRaRP8
โ Englandโs Nutty Army ๐ดฺ ฺ ฺ ฺ ฺ ๐บ (@TheBarmyArmy) January 7, 2025
Stokes to miss major cricket events to focus on recovery
Following his hamstring surgery, Stokes will need extensive care and ongoing rehabilitation before ever setting foot on the field in any capacity. The English all-rounder has withdrawn his name from the IPL auction and will miss the SA20 season, the South African T20 franchise league, where he was going to play MY Cape Town.
Additionally, Stokes will miss several international cricket events. He is already ruled out of the English team that will carry out the tour India for a 5-match T20I and 3-match ODI series. His appearance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 scheduled to take place in Pakistan this year. Stokes will attempt to return to the England Test team ahead of a long season of Test cricket in which they will play against Zimbabwe in May and a 5-match test series against India before traveling to Australia to win back The Ashes at the end of the year.