Ben Stokes sidelined indefinitely? England captain suffers serious injury in The Hundred

The England team has suffered a major blow ahead of the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka after Ben Stokes suffered a hamstring injury in The Hundred Men's 2024. Stokes is likely to be ruled out of the three-match Test series, which is scheduled to begin in Manchester on Wednesday, August 21.

Stokes suffered a hamstring injury while playing for the Northern Superchargers against the Manchester Originals at Old Trafford on Sunday, August 11. Stokes pulled up with the injury after completing a quick single. The left-handed batter scored only two runs off four balls before walking off the field.

Ben Stokes Will Be Getting A Scan Tomorrow - Harry Brook

Harry Brook, captain of the Northern Superchargers, expressed his concerns about Stokes' injury, stating that it doesn't look great. Brook mentioned that Stokes would undergo a scan the next day to determine the extent of the injury.

“It doesn’t look great, unfortunately. I think he’ll be getting a scan tomorrow and we’ll see how he is,” Harry Brook said., as quoted by ESPNCricinfo

“Ben Stokes is having his hamstring assessed. Further updates will be available from tomorrow (Monday),” a Superchargers spokesperson said.

Ben Stokes had to be carried from the field after suffering an injury playing for Northern Superchargers in the Hundred 😭

pic.twitter.com/KZATTvFnHH

— England's Barmy Army 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) August 11, 2024

Ben Stokes experienced discomfort after completing a single. The England Test captain fell on the ground and threw his gloves. Harry Booker (strength and conditioning coach) and James Pipe (physiotherapist) came onto the field for treatment. However, he couldn't recover and had to be carried off the field.

Booker and Pipe assisted Stokes back to the dugout. He was then placed on a stretcher and taken to the hospital by ambulance from Emirates Old Trafford. Stokes returned about an hour later and walked with crutches. He shook hands with the Manchester Originals players and even signed autographs for fans.

Ben Stokes was set to play four group-stage games in The Hundred. He could have continued if the Northern Superchargers advanced to the knockout stages. He was out on the first ball by Tim Southee in his first game and scored 2 runs off four balls in a rain-affected match in Cardiff. Stokes is now likely to miss the final group game against London Spirit.

England To Face Sri Lanka In First Test On August 21

England is already without opener Zak Crawley for the Sri Lanka series. Crawley was ruled out of the series due to a fractured finger. Dan Lawrence is likely to open the batting in Crawley's absence. Vice-captain Ollie Pope is expected to lead the team if Ben Stokes is also unavailable for the upcoming home series.

The upcoming Test series is tightly scheduled, with just two three-day breaks between matches. The first match is set to be played at Old Trafford on August 21, followed by games at Lord's and The Oval. England will then travel to Pakistan in October for a three-match series starting in Multan on October 7.

Also read: Kieron Pollard becomes first player in history of cricket to...