His last appearance in the competition came during the 2014-15 season for the Melbourne Renegades
Published: September 1, 2026, 4:18 PM IST
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File photo of Ben Stokes(Credits: IANS)
Former England Test captain and all-rounder Ben Stokes, who made an infamous exit from the English national team in June, is all set to feature in the upcoming edition of Australia’s premier T20 competition, the Big Bash League ahead of the upcoming 2026 editionAfter stepping aside from Three Lions duties, Stokes has put his focus back on club and franchise cricket.
He retired from the international scene after England lost the three-match Test series against New Zealand by 2-1.
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Ben Stokes is currently playing county cricket for DurhamHe played in both of Durham’s last two wins against Derbyshire and Gloucestershire and also made decent contributions with both bat and ballHe had scores of 53 and 66* and also took a five-wicket haul against DerbyshireIt will be fair to say that Stokes is enjoying his time with the club.
Reports started to emerge yesterday that Ben Stokes is likely to sign a contract with an unnamed team in the BBL and the all-rounder himself confirmed this development through an Instagram post earlier todayHe will return to the competition for the first time in 12 years this winter after signing a one-year contract with the Adelaide Strikers.
His last appearance in the competition came during the 2014-15 season for the Melbourne RenegadesThat season, he featured in only four matches and scored 128 runs at a strike rate of 156.10He was a terrific T20 player before he retired from the format after winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 at the land down under.
Since then, he didn’t play any T20 cricket in order to put his focus on the longest formatHe even declined many opportunities to feature in the cash-rich Indian Premier League with his last appearance in the competition coming in 2023 for the Chennai Super Kings.
But now, after signing for the Adelaide Strikers before BBL 16, Stokes might even consider playing in the IPLHe expressed his excitement to join the team and stated that he could not deny the opportunity because he enjoys playing in Australia.
“I’m really excited to be joining the Adelaide Strikers for BBL 16I’ve always enjoyed playing in Australia, and when the opportunity came up to join the Strikers it was one I couldn’t pass up,” Ben Stokes said.
“Adelaide Oval is an incredible place to play cricket, the Big Bash is a fantastic competition and the Strikers have an exciting group, so I’m looking forward to meeting the players, getting stuck in and contributing to a successful season.
“I can’t wait to get started, create some special memories with the group and give Strikers fans plenty to cheer about,” Stokes concluded.
The new BBL season will start from December 12 with the tournament opener between Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers set to be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
