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 from February 7. England are part of Group C alongside Nepal, Italy, Netherlands, and Scotland. Before we talk about why is Ben Stokes not playing for England in T20 World Cup 2026, check out the squads of all teams.

Why is Ben Stokes Not Playing For England in T20 World Cup 2026?

Ben Stokes has not played a T20I since his heroics in the 2022 T20 World Cup 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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How Will England Be Affected By Ben Stokes' Absence?

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 and strike rate of 128. His solitary fifty in T20I cricket came in that final.