England's Test captain Ben Stokes has been named the mentor for the Northern Superchargers for the remainder of The Hundred Men's 2025 tournament. The star all-rounder is currently recovering from a left shoulder injury he sustained during the Test series against India. The announcement that Stokes would miss the competition was made back in February, citing the need to manage his workload ahead of the Ashes series in Australia later this year. His recent injury would have prevented him from playing regardless.
Ben Stokes to mentor Northern Superchargers in The Hundred
The 34-year-old will now join the Harry Brook-led Superchargers' coaching staff, working alongside head coach and fellow former English all-rounder, Andrew Flintoff. Stokes has a history with the team, having played for them in both the 2021 and 2024 seasons. His 2024 campaign was cut short by a hamstring tear, which not only sidelined him from The Hundred but also from a crucial Test series last summer, where Ollie Pope took over the captaincy.
It was earlier announced in February that Ben Stokes would be sitting out The Hundred this summer to manage his fitness in preparation for the Ashes series in Australia. He recently sustained a shoulder injury that would have prevented him from playing anyway, as it also forced him to miss the fifth Test against India.
Despite being unable to play, the 34-year-old will still be contributing to the team. He'll be joining head coach Andrew Flintoff's staff at the Superchargers, where he hopes to make an impact by providing his expertise as a mentor.
The Superchargers have started their season on a high note, with a convincing eight-wicket victory over Welsh Fire in their first match at Headingley. Zak Crawley was named Player of the Match for his two catches and an impressive 67 not out from 48 balls, leading the team to a win with 11 balls to spare.
Talking about Stokes' performance in the just-concluded five-match Test series against India, he had a strong showing both in his role as captain and as an individual player. He repeatedly came to England's rescue with the bat and bowled long spells to support his fellow pacers. Overall, Stokes finished the series with 304 runs from seven innings and 17 wickets from eight innings in the four matches he played. He was rested for the final Test at The Oval, a game which England ultimately lost by six runs.