"Rehab starts now" - Ben Stokes undergoes knee surgery nearly eight weeks before India Tests

The England Test captain goes under the knife, posting an image of him on crutches outside Cromwell Hospital on Wednesday (November 29), less than two months out from the series starting on January 25

Nick Howson | 29/11/2023 at 18:41

England Men's Test captain Ben Stokes has undergone surgery on his troublesome knee injury less than two months out from the India Test series.

The 32-year-old has been suffering from a chronic knee problem for in excess of a year, forcing him to play as a specialist batter for large swathes of the Ashes - he bowled just 38 overs across eight Tests this year - and throughout the ODI World Cup.

Stokes posted an image on social media of him on crutches outside Cromwell Hospital in South Kensington, with the caption: "In and out. Under the done. Rehab starts now."

Having put off surgery to feature in England's main assignments during 2023, it will be hoped the procedure can help put Stokes' fitness issues behind him and ensure he returns as an allrounder.

It comes less than eight weeks out from the first India Test in Hyderabad starting on January 25. But ahead of going under the knife, Stokes insisted he would be fit in time.

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Stokes has limped through England's assignments in recent months (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

"I'll be fine for the Test series in India," he said in early November.

"It's been a big hindrance on me and affected what I can do for the team. Obviously, that's what I want to be doing. You'd hope that it means that I can get back to doing what I've been known for, which is playing a role as a batter, and playing a role as a bowler as well.

"Obviously it's been a long time coming and obviously I want to get back to what I've been doing prior to the 18 months where I've had this injury. We'll just see how everything goes, and see how I respond to the surgery and all the rehab as well."

The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium Test is the first in the space of seven weeks. The series then moves to Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamsala - the scene of the start of England's disastrous Cricket World Cup title defence against New Zealand.