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Ben-Stokes
England all-rounder Ben Stokes is set to make his first T20 Blast appearance since 2018 for Durham. The Vitality Blast T20 competition, which is played between the English and Welsh first-class counties in England, will commence from June 9. Stokes is currently not a part of the England squad in the ongoing Test series against New Zealand due to injury. However, the all-rounder will be a key player in England's five-Test series against India in August-September. In addition, other English cricketers like Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, and Adil Rashid will also be seen in action in the T20 tournament for the first time in many years.
Ben Stokes had to also opt-out of the IPL before its suspension after a fracture to his left index finger. The 30-year-old has to undergo surgery for it. However, last week, Ben stated in the Daily Mirror column that he has been recovering quite well.
Stokes might feature in the upcoming limited over series against Sri Lanka
Talking about the T20 Blast 2021 tournament, Ben Stokes will be a part of the Durham team. The Durham team is going to play its first game in the Vitality Blast against Yorkshire on June 11. The details of Ben Stokes' comeback are not yet disclosed by the England Cricket Board. However, the all-rounder is anticipated to play in the forthcoming matches of the Durham team in the Vitality Blast. The 30-year-old might also mark his comeback with the Durham 2nd XI team in the ongoing Second Eleven T20 2021 competition between the counties.
On the other hand, ECB is expected to announce their squad for the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. Thus, it still remains to be seen whether all-rounder Ben Stokes will be a part of the team or not. Earlier it was anticipated that certain English players would miss out on the Sri Lanka series. This was because of the involvement of various England cricketers in IPL 2021. However, with the IPL now being called off, Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali might feature against the Islanders. Several English cricketers who featured in IPL 2021 were already given some extra time off by their board. They are also not a part of the ongoing Test series against New Zealand. England will play against the Sri Lanka series in three ODIs and three T20Is, starting from June 23.