Ben Stokes to Skip Hundred 2025 to Focus on Test Cricket Amid Fitness Issues – Will the England Star Ever Play White Ball Again?

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Ben Stokes has decided to withdraw from The Hundred 2025, prioritising his fitness ahead of England’s crucial Test series, including an Ashes tour to Australia later this year.

Stokes, who captains England’s Test team, made the decision after consulting with Northern Superchargers’ coach Andrew Flintoff. The all-rounder is currently recovering from surgery on his left hamstring, which he injured while playing for the Superchargers last August before aggravating it during England’s Test series against New Zealand in December.

The Hundred is set to begin on August 5, just a day after England’s five-match Test series against India concludes. With a packed schedule leading into the Ashes, starting on November 21 in Perth, Stokes has opted out of the franchise league to manage his workload.

His absence is a significant blow for the Superchargers, a team now under full ownership of Sun Group (owners of Sunrisers Hyderabad), particularly as the Hundred undergoes structural changes after a £975 million valuation of its franchises. Harry Brook is set to replace Stokes as the centrally contracted player for the team.

Ben Stokes’ Growing Absence from T20 Leagues

Stokes' withdrawal from the Hundred 2025 follows a pattern of him stepping away from T20 leagues over the past few years. Most recently, he pulled out of the SA20 2024 season, where he was set to represent MI Cape Town, after suffering a hamstring injury. Before that, he opted out of the IPL 2024 auction, citing a need to manage his body and extend his international career.

His absence from the IPL 2025 mega auction was particularly notable, given that he had played in the 2023 edition for Chennai Super Kings, though injuries kept him out of most games. Similarly, he had previously withdrawn from the 2022 IPL, focusing on Test cricket as England entered a transitional phase under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes' leadership.

With Stokes continuously missing major T20 leagues, it raises questions about whether he is slowly phasing himself out of white-ball cricket altogether.

Has Ben Stokes Retired from White-Ball Cricket?

Stokes' commitment to Test cricket is clear, but his white-ball future remains uncertain. He had retired from ODIs in 2022, citing an overloaded schedule, only to reverse his decision in 2023 to help England defend their 50-over World Cup title. However, England endured a horrific campaign, failing to make the semifinals, after which Stokes once again distanced himself from ODIs.

For T20s, Stokes has not officially retired but withdrew from England’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad to focus on his fitness. With his recent decisions to skip the Hundred and multiple franchise leagues, it remains to be seen if he will ever return to white-ball cricket.

While Stokes has left the door open for a future comeback in T20s, his growing injury concerns and Test responsibilities suggest that he may be transitioning away from limited-overs formats entirely. If that happens, England will lose one of their greatest white-ball players, who delivered match-winning performances in both the 2019 ODI World Cup final and 2022 T20 World Cup final.

For now, England fans will be relieved that their captain is fully focused on leading the team in the Ashes 2025, but questions about his white-ball career will only grow louder in the coming months.