Veteran England all-rounder Ben Stokes recently shared an update following his knee surgery. The England Test captain stated that he is doing well while sharing a photo of his knees and bruises.
Stokes has been suffering from a chronic problem in the joint over the past 18 months and could bowl only 29 overs in this summer’s drawn Ashes series. Notably, he played as a specialist batter in the recently concluded ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India after coming out of retirement from the format. However, he could complete his recovery process very soon which will allow him to bowl in the five-match Test series against India in January-February next year.
“Bruising will always make its way down yeah? I’m fine btw it’s normal,” Stokes wrote on his latest Instagram story.
Stokes will skip the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season to manage his workload. Apart from the Test series against India, the 32-year-old will take part of the 2024 T20 World Cup, scheduled in West Indies and United States of America (USA) in June next year.
“The Chennai Super Kings management is supportive of Ben in his decision to manage his workload with England playing a 5-Test series in India before the IPL and then the T20 World Cup in June 2024,” a recent statement from CSK read.
Stokes finished as England second-leading run-scorer in ODI World Cup 2023
Despite England having a forgettable journey in the 2023 ODI World Cup, Stokes somewhat enjoyed the campaign on a personal level. Initially benched for the first three games due to fitness issues, the 32-year-old was brought into the fourth match and displayed his prowess in all subsequent games.
Stokes concluded the tournament as England’s second-leading run-scorer, accumulating 304 runs in six games at an average of 50.66 and a strike rate of 89.14, which included a century and two half-centuries.
Stokes came out of retirement for the prestigious ICC event, but England failed to defend the title as they ended up in seventh place in the points table, managing just three wins in nine games. Despite the disappointment, they secured a place in the 2025 Champions Trophy.