Ben Stokes Faces Facial Injury Ahead of Upcoming Matches

Ben Stokes Suffers Facial Injury

In New Delhi, England's Test captain Ben Stokes has sustained a facial injury, resulting in a black eye and notable bruising after being hit on the cheek by a cricket ball.

Stokes shared details of his injury through an Instagram story on Thursday, humorously noting, "You should see the state of the ball."

Reports from ESPNcricinfo indicate that Stokes was not actively batting or bowling at the time of the incident; he was merely standing off to the side during a nets session.

The all-rounder has been sidelined from cricket since he exited the field due to an adductor injury during the final Ashes Test against Australia in Sydney last month.

Since the 2023 World Cup, Stokes has not participated in any white-ball matches for England and will miss the upcoming T20 World Cup starting February 7.

His next chance to play internationally is expected to be in June during the first Test of England's home series against New Zealand, although he might feature for Durham in the County Championship beforehand.

Stokes, along with former England player Moeen Ali, was scheduled to join Andrew Flintoff in the coaching setup for the England Lions during a white-ball series against Pakistan Shaheens in Abu Dhabi from February to March.

The selectors have announced a 17-player squad for the three-match T20 series and a 16-player squad for the five 50-over matches.

England Lions T20 squad includes: Sonny Baker, Luc Benkenstein, James Coles, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox (capt), Scott Currie, Calvin Harrison, Eddie Jack, Saqib Mahmood, Ben McKinney, Tom Moores, Dan Mousley, Matt Revis, Will Smeed, Nathan Sowter, Mitchell Stanley, Asa Tribe.

England Lions 50-over squad features: Sonny Baker, Luc Benkenstein, James Coles, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Scott Currie, Calvin Harrison, Eddie Jack, Ben McKinney, Dan Mousley (capt), Liam Patterson-White, Matthew Potts, Matt Revis, James Rew, Mitchell Stanley, Asa Tribe, James Wharton.