England captain Ben Stokes is ruled out of all cricket for at least three months due to a torn left hamstring.
The injury occurred during the third Test against New Zealand in Hamilton, where England secured a 2-1 series win.
Earlier this week, Stokes was excluded from England's 15-man squad for next year's Champions Trophy, a decision directly linked to his ongoing injury.
His last appearance in the 50-over format was during the 2023 World Cup.
The all-rounder has faced a string of long-term injuries over the past year.
Following the 2023 ODI World Cup, he underwent knee surgery in October, requiring an extensive rehabilitation period before returning to action.
His fitness was further compromised during the World Cup, limiting his involvement.
In August 2024, he suffered a torn hamstring, which sidelined him for the remainder of the English summer.
Despite these setbacks, Stokes managed to return but had to carefully manage his bowling workload.
He also decided to sit out the 2024 IPL and not enter the auction in order to prioritize his fitness.
Before the Hamilton Test, Stokes had expressed confidence in his physical condition, noting the hard work he had put into managing his body.
"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 nice 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 had said.
Unfortunately, after bowling several overs in the Test match, Stokes is now sidelined with a similar long-term injury.
As a result, he will miss next year's Hundred competition, which kicks off on January 9, 2024.
- Ben Stokes