'I thought I was done' - Ben Stokes opens up about his hip injury and possible World Cup return against South Africa

Ben Stokes, who played a key role in England's win in the 2019 World Cup final, is expected to play his first match for the defending champions in the 2023 World Cup after missing the first three games due to a hip niggle.

Ahead of the match against South Africa on Saturday, October 21, Stokes revealed that he felt his World Cup campaign was over after he got injured. Before the tournament began, the star all-rounder and England's strength and conditioning coach Andy Mitchell heard a concerning sound during a fitness session in Guwahati. This turned out to be Stokes "ripping the fascia off my muscle". Subsequent scans cleared Stokes of a severe injury and England's red-ball captain felt for the next 36 hours or so, that his World Cup would end without him playing a single match.

"When I initially did it, I thought I was done. Because it's not good hearing a pop. Thankfully, it wasn't anywhere near as bad as we initially thought… we got a programme in place straight away and it went really well. I'm here now, physically being available for selection, so it's pretty good. It's obviously been a frustrating little niggle to get before the tournament started, but I've worked very hard to get to where I am now… I'm pretty confident that everything will be good," Stokes was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

"I've worked to get back to a position of fitness where I'm able to go out and not be a hindrance on the team. I've worked hard and got to a point where I feel like I can do as much as I possibly can without having to hide in the field, or not be able to do as much as I need to do, to be able to actually have a positive influence on the team," the left-handed batter added.

England will look to get their campaign back on track after suffering a monumental upset in their previous game against Afghanistan. The Proteas are also coming off a shock defeat against the Netherlands. The match involving England and South Africa will be played in Mumbai.

Also Check: ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Points Table