“I’ve not had a drink since January 2”- Ben Stokes reveals ahead of India Test series

Ben Stokes, 33, is widely considered to be England's greatest all-around player of all time, although he hasn't played since December 2024.  

Since then, the test captain has been recovering, and it is anticipated that he will make a comeback for the one-time test against Zimbabwe, which is scheduled to start on May 22. Stokes' recuperation from surgery is almost complete, and the seasoned player is hoping to contribute significantly against Zimbabwe in the upcoming test.  

Stokes acknowledged that he now finds it harder to recover from injuries and that he must work really hard to be in a position where he can offer the team his best effort.

"After my first major injury, I remember the shock of it, after the initial adrenaline had stopped, thinking: ‘How has this happened? We did have a bit of a drink four or five nights ago, could that have played a part? It wouldn’t have helped", said Stokes while speaking to the Untapped podcast.

Stokes had also opted out of the successive IPLs in 2024 and 2025 to remain fit and ready for Test cricket.

I’ll be completely sober: Ben Stokes as he preps for the India Tests

England is set to face off against India in a five-Test series starting June 20. The first Test will be played at Headingley in Leeds. The series will progress with the second Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham, from July 2 to 6, followed by the third Test at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London from July 10 to 14.

The fourth Test is scheduled at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester from July 23 to 27, and the series will conclude with the fifth and final Test at The Kia Oval in London from July 31 to August 4.

Stokes went on to say that he had decided to give up drinking until he felt he was no longer able to play. The all-around player acknowledged that he also has no ambitions to start drinking again. He went on to say that in order to stay healthy and be ready for all of the next matches, he realized he needed to put in more effort off the field, in the gym, and so on.

“Then I was like, ‘OK, I need to start changing what I do.’ I don’t think I’ll ever be completely sober, but I’ve not had a drink since January 2. I said to myself, ‘Not until I finish my injury rehab and get back on the field. ’ The day I wake up and can’t be bothered to do the training is getting towards that time, you don’t really want it anymore. But I haven’t got any interest in stopping,” Stokes added.

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