England all-rounder Ben Stokes, who suffered a finger fracture during IPL 2021, is set to return to action, following a lengthy lay-off. Stokes will make his comeback for Durham in the upcoming T20 Blast. It will be his first appearance in the tournament in almost three years, having last played in the T20 Blast in 2018.
The 30-year-old was initially expected to be out injured until early July, but he has made a quick recovery and has already started outdoor training. While the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is yet to confirm Stokes’ availability, he is likely to make a comeback between June 15-20, with Durham set to play four matches during the said period.
Ben Stokes, while writing in his column for the Mirror last week, that he is at an exciting time in his recovery.
“I’m able to bowl, I’m able to get in the gym and I’m able to hit some balls again, I’m at an exciting point of my recovery where full-on training is not that far away and then I can start thinking about playing in a match again,” he said.
England are soon expected to name their squad for the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka. It remains to be seen whether Stokes will be a part of the squad. Earlier it was expected that the IPL-bound players would miss out on the Sri Lanka series.
However, with the IPL being suspended, the likes of Jos Buttler, Sam Curran among others could feature against the Lankans. England and Sri Lanka will play three ODIs and as many T20Is, starting June 23.