Ben Stokes Opts Out Of T20 World Cup 2024

Ben Stokes in English colours (X,com)Ben Stokes in English colours (X,com)

Ben Stokes, the talismanic English all-rounder and Test captain has opted out of T20 World Cup 2024 in a bid to get fully fit and prioritise Test cricket. Interestingly, Ben Stokes was the player of the match in England's 2022 T20 World Cup win and his big-match credentials will be surely be missed when Jos Buttler and co. take the field for the marquee event.

Ben Stokes recently led England in the Test series against India but has been battling with fitness issues for the last couple of years, and even underwent a knee surgery before the Test series. 

However, Stokes bowled in only one Test match out of the five against India, and he has now confirmed that he wants to deliver as an all-rounder, and that is the reason he has decided to opt out of T20 World Cup.

In 2023, Ben Stokes came out of ODI retirement to play the 50-over World Cup in India and that delayed his knee surgery and probably hampered his performance in the Test series. 

As far as T20Is are concerned, Ben Stokes has not retired from the format but has played only two T20 games since the 2022 T20 World Cup, both coming in the 16th edition of the IPL.

Stokes’ absence is surely a big blow for England, but there is no dearth of talent in English circuit and it would be interesting to see what combination reigning champions will go with in the T20 World Cup starting from June 1.