Ben Stokes
Benjamin Andrew Stokes is an English international cricketer who is the captain of the England Test team. Stokes has played for England in all three formats. Stokes is regarded as one of England's greatest all-rounders in the history of the sport. In domestic cricket, he represents Durham and has played in multiple Twenty20 leagues around the world. He was part of the England team that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup.
Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, Stokes moved to England as a child. He made his ODI and T20I debuts in 2011, and his Test debut in 2013. He was part of the England team that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup, top-scoring in England's innings in the final before batting in the tied Super Over, winning the Man of the Match award. He was named the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World in 2019, 2020 and 2022, and won the ICC Award for Best Men's Cricketer and BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award in 2019. He was appointed captain of England's Test team in April 2022. He was part of the England team that won the 2022 T20 World Cup, top-scoring in the final.
An all-rounder, Stokes is a left-handed middle-order batsman and right-arm fast bowler. He holds the Test world record for most runs in an innings at number six, scoring 258 against South Africa during England's 2015–16 tour. In the same Test, he and Jonny Bairstow set the world record for highest sixth-wicket stand in Tests, at 399. In February 2023, he set a new record for the total number of sixes hit in a Test career, surpassing the previous tally of 107 set by his coach at the time, Brendon McCullum. He played his 100th test match against India on 15 February 2024.
Early life
Benjamin Andrew Stokes was born on 4 June 1991 in Christchurch, New Zealand, the son of rugby league footballer and coach Gerard Stokes. He has Māori heritage on his mother’s side. In 2003, at the age of 12, Stokes relocated to England when his father was appointed head coach of Workington Town Rugby League Football Club. The family settled in the West Cumbrian town of Cockermouth, where Ben attended Cockermouth School. During this period, he developed his cricketing skills with the local Cockermouth Cricket Club, contributing to their North Lancashire & Cumbria Cricket League Premier Division Title win in 2006 at just 15 years old. He left school aged 16 with just one GCSE, in physical education. His parents subsequently moved back to New Zealand to reside again in Christchurch.Domestic career
Stokes made his List A debut for Durham in 2009 at The Oval and managed to take the wicket of the highly experienced batsman Mark Ramprakash with only his third delivery in professional cricket. He played in two youth Tests against Bangladesh U19 during 2009, in which he made a half-century and took a few wickets. He then went on to play in the 2010 Under-19 World Cup, during which he scored a century against the India Under-19 team.Stokes made his first-class debut for Durham against the Marylebone Cricket Club during the traditional season opener, which for 2010 was taking place at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. During that match, he bagged a half-century and took one wicket. At the start of the 2010 County Cricket Season, he also made his Championship debut for Durham when he played in a fixture against Essex. He made his maiden first-class century against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on 13 May 2010. He has also featured for Durham in the Clydesdale Bank 40-over competition. Durham's continuing problems with many players becoming injured at the start of the 2010 season meant that Stokes continued playing in all forms of the game for Durham. Having had a very successful debut season in first-class cricket, he was given a place in the England Performance Programme and travelled to Australia during the 2010–11 Ashes.
Stokes was a key member of the Durham side that won the 2013 County Championship, and was also named Man of the Match in the final of the 2014 Royal London One-Day Cup Final at Lord's, having scored 38* and taken 2 wickets in a low-scoring game against Warwickshire.
On 2 January 2015, Stokes joined the Melbourne Renegades of Australia's Big Bash League for the remainder of the season as a replacement for Jesse Ryder, who was ruled out due to an injury.
On 13 February 2017, Stokes was appointed vice-captain of England's test team, deputising under Joe Root, who was made captain the same day.
On 6 May 2022, Stokes marked his return to Durham with a record-breaking 161 from 88 balls on day two of the County Championship game against Worcestershire that included him scoring 34 runs in a single over. In said over, Stokes hit five consecutive sixes but failed to make clean contact with the final delivery of the over, getting only a one-bounce four causing him to miss out on becoming only the third cricketer in history to score six sixes in an over of first-class cricket. However, the innings still surpassed Paul Collingwood's record for the fastest first-class century by a Durham player and the record for the most sixes hit in a County Championship innings.
Stokes was part of the Northern Superchargers squad for the first four seasons of The Hundred. He made two appearances in the inaugural 2021 season. Despite missing the entire 2022 season of the competition, he was retained by the Superchargers for the third season. He did not feature in 2023 as his workload was managed between the Ashes and World Cup. He was due to make four appearances in the 2024 season however suffered a hamstring injury when batting against Manchester Originals. Stokes opted out of the 2025 season to manage his fitness ahead of the 2025–26 Ashes series.
Indian Premier League
In February 2017, Stokes was bought by Rising Pune Supergiant to play in the Indian Premier League during the 2017 season. He made his maiden Twenty20 century against Gujarat Lions, hitting 103 not out from 63 balls, including hitting seven fours and six sixes. He was named as Most Valuable Player for the 2017 season. For the 2018 season he moved to Rajasthan Royals having been bought for £1.7million, the most expensive player in the 2018 IPL auction.In October 2020, he scored 107 not out for Rajasthan Royals as part of an unbeaten partnership of 152 with Sanju Samson. During the 2021 IPL, Stokes suffered a finger injury which ruled him out from the entire season after playing in only one match. He pulled out of the 2022 edition as he wanted to focus on his country's Test team. He was bought by Chennai Super Kings to play in the IPL 2023 season for INR. 16.25 Crore in the IPL auction held on 23 December 2022.
International career
2011–2012 Ireland, India and New Zealand
Stokes made his senior England debut in a One Day International against Ireland in August 2011. Stokes was caught and bowled by Paul Stirling for just three runs and did not bowl; however, he did take a catch.2013–14 Ashes series
Stokes was selected for the England squad for the 2013–14 Ashes series against Australia. He became the 658th player to represent England at Test level. He made his debut in the 2nd Test and took the wickets of Michael Clarke and Peter Siddle before contributing 1 run in England's first innings. In the second innings, he made 28 runs off 90 balls in England's loss. He was selected in the 3rd Test and took the wicket of Brad Haddin, he then made 18 off 57 deliveries. In Australia's second innings he bowled Michael Clarke and took Steve Smith's wicket. In England's second innings he made his maiden Test century scoring 120 off 195 balls before being caught. In the first innings of the 4th Test he made 14 runs, then managed to get Shane Watson out. In the second innings he hit 19 runs and took the wicket of David Warner in England's loss.Stokes took a career-best 6 wickets for 99 runs in the first innings of the 5th Test, including the major wickets of captain Clarke for 10 and top-scorer for the innings Steve Smith for 115. Stokes top scored for England with 47 runs in the first innings to help England limp to 155 all out. In the second innings he made 32 and finished the series on the losing end of a 5–0 whitewash. Stokes enjoyed a solid series, however, finishing as England's third-highest run scorer with 279 runs and also second-highest wicket taker with 15 wickets. Stokes was the only English batsman to score a hundred in the series. Stokes was praised for his batting efforts on a typical fast and bouncy WACA surface against the hostile fast bowling of Mitchell Johnson at the height of his bowling powers. The Guardian described Stokes's WACA century as "the only welcome positive for the future."