Ben Stokes Requires Surgery for Hamstring Injury, Out for Three Months

England Test captain Ben Stokes will undergo surgery for a torn left hamstring, sidelining him from all cricket for a minimum of three months. The injury occurred during a match against New Zealand. The 33-year-old sustained the injury earlier this month while bowling on the third day of the third Test match against New Zealand. This marks the second time this year that Stokes has experienced a torn left hamstring, having previously suffered the same injury in August while competing in The Hundred. According to England, the Durham all-rounder is scheduled for surgery in January. Stokes shared his thoughts on X, stating, “Something else to overcome – go on then. I’ve got so much more left in this tank and so much more blood sweat and tears to go through for my team and this shirt. There’s a reason I have a phoenix permanently inked on my body.” As a result of this injury, Stokes was omitted from England’s squads for the white-ball tour of India and the Champions Trophy, both scheduled for January and February. He was also slated to participate in the SA20, South Africa’s franchise T20 league, with MI Cape Town in January, but will now be absent from that tournament. England’s next Test match is scheduled for May, when they are set to play Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge. Stokes’ goal is to regain fitness for the opening round of the County Championship on 4 April, where Durham is scheduled to play Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge; however, this will be contingent on his surgical recovery. To extend his England career, Stokes previously chose not to enter the auction for the 2025 Indian Premier League, which runs from March to May. In the third-Test defeat in Hamilton, Stokes delivered 36.2 overs, marking his highest bowling workload in a single match since June 2022. His 66.1 overs bowled throughout the series, which England won 2-1, represented his most extensive bowling effort as captain. England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick indicated that Stokes’ bowling workload might need management following this repeated hamstring injury, though Stokes himself stated he would not be “holding back” with his bowling upon his return from this recent setback. A year prior, Stokes underwent surgery for a persistent left knee issue that had affected his bowling performance throughout 2023. This year, he missed three home Tests against Sri Lanka and one in Pakistan after sustaining a hamstring tear while playing for Northern Superchargers. Stokes acknowledged that the endeavor to achieve fitness for the last two Tests in Pakistan was mentally taxing, but he appeared to be regaining his peak form in New Zealand prior to the recurrence of his hamstring injury. England’s Test team anticipates a pivotal year in 2025, featuring five home Tests against India during the summer, followed by an attempt to reclaim the Ashes in Australia in the winter.