Ben Stokes scored a fifty in the T20 World Cup 2022 final.
Why is Ben Stokes not playing for England in T20 World Cup 2026? Well, to those not in touch with T20 internationals, the answer is a bit complicated. The Test captain has not officially retired from T20I cricket, but has not been part of the set-up for three years and hence doesn’t make it into the England T20 World Cup squad.
The 2022 champions will be one of the top teams in this tournament, which is scheduled to begin on February 7. England are part of Group C alongside Nepal, Italy, the Netherlands, and Scotland. Before we talk more about why is Ben Stokes not playing for England in T20 World Cup 2026, check out the squads of all teams.
Ben Stokes has not played a 20-over match since his heroics in the T20 World Cup 2022 final against Pakistan at Melbourne Cricket Ground. He made an unbeaten 52 in the final in tough conditions to steer the team to their second T20 title.
Following that, Stokes did not play any T20Is due to his fitness and workload management. He opted out of the 2024 edition to focus on Test cricket and has not been recalled by the management. Given his age and fitness concerns, England have moved on from him, with the team having a plethora of white-ball stars.
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Due to his fitness issues, Stokes has played only 43 T20Is in his career, as the shorter format often took the backseat. His record in the format hasn’t been great either, with a batting average of 21.66 anda strike rate of 128. His solitary fifty in T20I cricket came in that final.
Bring it on! 🔥
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) December 30, 2025
Our provisional 15-strong squad for the Men's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka 💪 pic.twitter.com/KFKGwOZC20
England also have some explosive batters in their squad, especially in the top order. Recently, they have tried Will Jacks, Jacob Bethell, and Tom Banton in the lower middle order. These players are naturally top-order batters but have no vacancy in those roles. Considering all, Stokes’ absence will not hurt England.
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