Pics Of Ben Stokes After Facial Surgery Go Viral, Spark Concern

Pictures of England Test captain Ben Stokes following a facial surgery have gone viral on social media. In a recent promotional video for England's new kits, his face appeared dramatically slimmer, sparking widespread concerns amongst fans.

The 34-year-old had gone under the knife earlier this year after being struck by a cricket ball during a practice session in February 2026.

Stokes was struck in the face by the ball, which was hit by 18-year-old Durham academy keeper-batter Robbie Bowman during a net session at Durham's indoor centre. Stokes was not batting or bowling at the time. He was standing beside the nets when the ball hit him. 

Durham head coach Ryan Campbell said Stokes had "broken the No. 1 rule of being a coach in the nets: never turn your back on the batter." Campbell also revealed that Stokes called Bowman from the hospital to tell him not to worry, saying the accident was his own fault.

Injuries and surgery

Stokes suffered a broken cheekbone and required a major facial surgery.  

He shared pictures on social media showing a heavily blackened eye, a graze across his cheek and lip, and a bandage on his nose. He captioned the post, "You should see the state of the cricket ball." After the procedure, he posted a photo from his hospital bed and wrote: "May not look like it... but the surgery was a success."

Stokes later said the incident could have been much worse. "I copped one straight in the face. Just a couple of inches one way or the other, I might not be here doing this interview if I didn't turn my head round," he told the ECB. “It was a bit of a mess under here (the cheekbone). I've got out quite lucky."

Stokes New Look Goes Viral

A video posted on Toyota UK's official Instagram account in collaboration with England Cricket, promoting the team's new Castore kits, featured several England players including Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson and Ben Duckett.

Stokes' face appeared noticeably leaner than before and his changed appearance quickly became the main talking point amongst fans on social media.

“What’s happening with Ben Stokes? Something feels off,” a fan commented. Another said, “Damn, he looks very different.” Many refused to believe that it was Ben Stokes, with one saying, “No way, this is not Ben Stokes??? AI ???”

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