ENG vs AFG: Ben Stokes remains sidelined as England take on Afghanistan in World Cup match today

In a turn of events, Ben Stokes continues to watch from the sidelines as England gears up for their third match of the 2023 World Cup campaign against Afghanistan in Delhi.

Stokes, who had once steered England to a spectacular victory in the 2019 World Cup final, was unavailable for the opening match against New Zealand due to a hip injury. This injury also kept him out of the second match, where England clinched a resounding 137-run victory over Bangladesh. While Stokes had initially announced his retirement from ODIs, he later reversed his decision to join England's quest to defend their World Cup title.

His return was marked by an impressive 182-run performance against New Zealand in an ODI win back in September Unfortunately, a hip issue on the eve of the tournament has kept him sidelined for the first two games. Nevertheless, there have been encouraging signs of his recovery leading up to the clash against Afghanistan. During a press conference, Joe Root noted, "Ben's making steady progress day by day, he's been training well, and his condition is improving "

However, Jos Buttler confirmed that Stokes is not part of the lineup, as England stuck with the same team that secured victory against Bangladesh. England won the toss and chose to field first.