Ben Stokes labels himself 'Bionic Man' following hamstring surgery, starts recovery journey

England Test team skipper Ben Stokes successfully underwent surgery to repair a torn left hamstring and shared an image of his leg in a brace on his official Instagram account on January 7. Ben Stokes humorously called himself the "Bionic Man" after undergoing scheduled surgery on his torn left hamstring.

Stokes tore his hamstring during England's third Test against New Zealand in December. Stokes made his return for the Test series against New Zealand, where he played as an all-rounder. However, he experienced discomfort mid-over, which forced him to leave the field and sit out the rest of the match.

Bionic Man for a While Surgery In a Bit - Ben Stokes

After his surgery, Ben Stokes shared the picture on his Instagram. He wrote, "Bionic Man for a while Surgery In a bit." The post quickly gained traction, receiving over 30,000 likes and 200 comments, with many cricket fans wishing him a speedy recovery ahead of England's crucial Test series against India in June.

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The 33-year-old first tore his hamstring while batting for the Northern Superchargers in the Hundred against the Manchester Originals in August last year.

This injury sidelined him for two months, forcing him to miss England's home Test series against Sri Lanka. Stokes later revealed that his intense efforts to get fit in time for England's winter tours to Pakistan and New Zealand had left him to "physically drain and ruin himself".

Ben Stokes Left Out of England's Champions Trophy 2025 Squad

Stokes has been left out of England's Champions Trophy 2025 squad and will not be playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. With Test cricket not resuming until May, he has ample time to fully recover before the busy home season, which includes a Test series against India in June.

He has a three-month window to focus on rehabilitation. This break allows Stokes to regain full fitness and prepare for the upcoming summer of cricket.

Ben Stokes Bowled 36.2 Overs in the Hamilton Test Before Hamstring Injury

Stokes had bowled 36.2 overs in the Hamilton Test before his hamstring injury, the most he had bowled since 2022. He bowled 23 overs on the first day, the most he had bowled in a single day. Stokes had returned to bowling after undergoing successful knee surgery in October 2023.

Ahead of the Hamilton Test, Stokes had said that he worked hard to build up his ability to bowl long spells. He acknowledged that as he gets older, he has to work harder on his fitness to continue performing at the highest level.

"I have to work so much harder on the physical side of the job to allow me to go out and do my job," he had said ahead of the Hamilton Test, "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."

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