Ben Stokes has been ruled out of all cricket for at least three months due to a torn left hamstring.
The England captain sustained the injury during the third Test against New Zealand in Hamilton, where his team secured a 2-1 series victory.
Earlier this week, Stokes was excluded from England’s 15-man squad for next year’s Champions Trophy because of the injury.
He last featured in the 50-over format during the 2023 World Cup.
Stokes has faced a series of long-term injuries.
In October 2023, he underwent knee surgery following the ODI World Cup, requiring an extended rehabilitation period before making his return.
Even during the World Cup, England couldn’t fully utilize his services.
In August 2023, he suffered a similar hamstring tear, which ruled him out for the remainder of the English summer.
He returned to action but had to carefully manage his bowling workload.
To better manage his fitness, he chose to skip the 2024 IPL and did not enter the mega auction.
Before the Hamilton Test, Stokes had expressed confidence in his physical condition, saying, “I have to work so much harder on the physical side of the job to allow me to go out and do my job, but I got a good amount of overs in during the last two games and I am more confident about getting through a lot of spells in a day.
That is where I got to before I pulled my hamstring.
I bowled well in the summer, had a setback but now feel out of that and not worrying about anything else happening again.
As you get older, you think about your body a bit more, but I work harder because I have to.”
Stokes ended up bowling several overs in the same match and has now been sidelined by another long-term injury.
As a result, he will miss next year’s Hundred competition, which begins on January 9.
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