Ben Stokes Undergoes Surgery After Cricket Ball Injury

England captain Ben Stokes injured by cricket ball, undergoes surgery

England Test captain Ben Stokes says surgery 'was a success' after facial injury from cricket ball.

“May not look like it but the surgery was a success...”

Ben Stokes, England's Test captain, has undergone surgery after suffering a serious facial injury from a cricket ball. He shared a graphic photo on Instagram showing his eye heavily swollen and bruised, with a graze on his cheek and lip, and a bandage in his nose.

Ben Stokes has revealed the surgery was a success ✅

The England captain really got a nasty hit to the face! pic.twitter.com/kHTmCRXLkl

— Test Match Special (@bbctms) February 10, 2026

Stokes hasn't revealed much about the surgery, but he's expected to be out for a while. This injury is a major blow for England, given Stokes' importance to the team.

England cricketer Ben Stokes posted an update from hospital, sharing a photo of his swollen face with the caption: “May not look like it but the surgery was a success.” This comes after he shared another post on Tuesday, showing the state of the cricket ball with a laughing face emoji and the caption: “You should see the state of the cricket ball.”

Stokes is back in England following a disappointing Ashes tour, which ended with a 4-1 series loss to Australia. 

Ben Stokes' captaincy future is uncertain as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) conducts a review following England's disappointing Ashes tour. Despite expressing his desire to continue leading the Test side, Stokes is currently not part of England's white-ball setup and is missing the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Stokes is recovering from facial surgery after being hit by a cricket ball during a nets session. He's expected to return to action in June for England's home Test series against New Zealand, potentially playing for Durham in the County Championship beforehand.

Ben Stokes undergoes successful facial surgery after being hit by a ball a few days ago. #BenStokes #TestCricket #England pic.twitter.com/5ufyoNkN8I

— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) February 10, 2026

Stokes is expected to play for Durham in the County Championship's early rounds to get some match practice before England's home Test season kicks off. His next big assignment is against New Zealand at Lord's on June 4 – which happens to be his 35th birthday.