Ben

Stokes

Ben Stokes Biography and Career

Ben Stokes is one of the most exciting and fearless cricketers of the modern era. Stokes was born on June 4, 1991, in Christchurch, New Zealand. Cricket was in his blood. His father, Gerard "Ged" Stokes, was a professional rugby league player and coach. When Ben was around 12 years old, his family moved to England after his father got a job coaching a rugby league team there. They settled in Cockermouth, a small town in Cumbria, where Ben began to take cricket more seriously. Though he was born in New Zealand, England soon became his true home.
Ben joined the local cricket club in Cockermouth and impressed everyone with his natural talent. By the time he was a teenager, he was playing competitive cricket and making a name for himself in county age-group levels. His fearless style and ability to take on senior bowlers at a young age quickly set him apart from his peers.
One of his first major cricketing milestones came when he was selected to play for England Under-19s. He played in the Under-19 World Cup in 2010 and caught the eye with a century against India.
Ben Stokes made his first-class debut for Durham in 2009, when he was just 18 years old. In domestic cricket, he showed he could be a match-winner with both bat and ball. He wasn’t just a batsman who bowled a little or a bowler who batted down the order—he was a genuine all-rounder.
In 2013, he had a breakthrough season for Durham, helping them win the County Championship. He scored 615 runs and took 42 wickets. His performances caught the attention of the national selectors, and soon, he got the big call-up.
Stokes made his Test debut for England during the 2013 Ashes series in Australia. While England lost the series badly, Stokes stood out. He scored a brave century in Perth.
However, the next couple of years weren’t smooth. In 2014, he was dropped from the team after poor form and struggled with injuries. But Stokes never gave up. He worked hard on his fitness, sharpened his skills, and returned stronger.
2015 was a turning point. Stokes made headlines with a brilliant 85-ball century against New Zealand at Lord’s. In 2016, he smashed the fastest double century by an Englishman in Tests—200 runs off just 163 balls against South Africa.
But success didn’t come without setbacks. In the 2016 T20 World Cup final, Stokes was hit for four sixes in the last over by Carlos Brathwaite as England went on to lose the big tournament.
But he turned things around in the 2019 ODI World Cup. Playing on home soil, he was one of England’s most consistent performers throughout the tournament. In the final against New Zealand at Lord’s, Stokes scored an unbeaten 84 before the game headed into a Super Over.
Just weeks after the World Cup win, Stokes produced another unforgettable performance. In the third Ashes Test at Headingley, England were chasing 359 to win. They were 286/9, and all hope seemed lost.
But Stokes played the innings of a lifetime—135 not out—to win the match for England.
It’s widely regarded as one of the greatest Test innings of all time.
In 2022, after Joe Root stepped down as England Test captain, Stokes took over the job. Along with new coach Brendon McCullum, he brought a fearless and attacking style to England’s Test cricket. He also took a break from cricket in 2021 to focus on his mental health.
Ben Stokes has also played franchise cricket around the world. He made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut in 2017 for Rising Pune Supergiant.
Joe Root, former England captain and teammate once said, “Ben Stokes is a freak, he's incredible.” Virat Kohli, former India captain, once said of Stokes, “The most competitive bloke I have played against.”

Beyond Cricket

As of 2024, Ben Stokes' estimated net worth is around $13 million. His income comes from several sources—his England central contract, match fees, franchise cricket, and endorsement deals with brands like Red Bull and New Balance. Notably, Stokes was the highest-paid player at both the IPL 2017 and 2018 auctions. In 2017, he was paid Rs 14.5 crore while the following season, he received a pay cheque of Rs 12.5 crore. 
Stokes is married to Clare Ratcliffe, his longtime partner. The two met during his early days at Durham and have been together ever since. Ratcliffe is a primary school teacher by profession.
They got engaged in 2013 and tied the knot in 2017 in a ceremony attended by close friends and family. The wedding was also attended by the who's who of the cricketing world including most of the current and several former England cricketers. The couple has two children—a son named Layton and a daughter named Libby. Their son was born in 2012 while the daughter was born in 2014. Stokes and his wife often share pictures with one another on social media. 

Ben Stokes Records
Ben Stokes ODI Records

• Highest individual score by an England batter in ODIs (2023): Scored 182 runs against New Zealand at The Oval, the highest by any Englishman in ODI World Cup history, breaking the previous record held by Jason Roy (180).

Ben Stokes Test Records

• Fastest double century by an England batter in Tests (2016): Scored 200 in just 163 balls against South Africa in Cape Town, finishing with 258 off 198 balls.
• First England cricketer to score over 250 and take 3 wickets (2016): Achieved during his 258-run knock against South Africa in Cape Town.
• Most runs in a Test innings at the sixth position (2016): His 258 remains the highest score by a batter batting at No. 6 in Tests.
• Highest Test partnership for the sixth wicket (2016): Shared a stand of 399 runs with Jonny Bairstow against South Africa—still the highest sixth-wicket partnership in Test history.
• Most runs in the first session of a day in Tests (2016): Scored 130 runs in the first session of Day 2 against South Africa at Cape Town—the highest ever in a morning session.
• Most sixes in an England Test career (2023): With 109 sixes, he surpassed the previous record of 107 sixes held by his coach, Brendon McCullum.

Ben Stokes World Cup Records

• Man of the Match in the final of the 2019 Cricket World Cup: Scored an unbeaten 84* in the thrilling final against New Zealand at Lord’s and helped England lift their first-ever ODI World Cup title.

Ben Stokes IPL Records

• Most expensive player in a season (2017 and 2018): Was paid Rs 14.5 crore for the 2017 season and Rs 12.5 crore for 2018.