Ben Stokes signs for Adelaide Strikers ahead of BBL 2026
Ben Stokes joins Adelaide Strikers for BBL 2026, adding to the club's overseas and all-round options.
Ben Stokes has signed for the Adelaide Strikers for BBL 2026, joining the squad alongside New Zealand all-rounder Mark Chapman. The England all-rounder returns to the Big Bash for the first time since 2015, when he played for the Melbourne Renegades.
Stokes strengthens the Strikers' all-round options alongside emerging local talents Liam Scott and Jerrssis Wadia. The 35-year-old's signing comes after the league returned to an open-market system for overseas players following the scrapping of the overseas draft.
Adelaide also re-signed Mackenzie Harvey and Henry Thornton on one-year extensions. Travis Head remains out of contract after his previous one-year deal expired.
CricHubb Take
Stokes' return gives Adelaide a proven international all-rounder who can anchor the middle order and contribute with the ball, potentially shifting the balance of power in a competition where overseas talent often decides close matches.