I Have Absolutely Loved Every Time I've Played Against Someone Like Virat Kohli: Ben Stokes

England all-rounder Ben Stokes praised Indian batting superstar Virat Kohli, saying he admires the passion and effort the former Indian captain gives to every match. Stokes announced his retirement from one-day international cricket on Monday, writing in a lengthy Instagram post that Tuesday’s ODI against South Africa will be his final match in the format.

Kohli dropped a comment on Stokes’s comment and wrote, “You’re the most competitive bloke I’ve ever played against. Respect.”

Virat Kohli Is Going To Go Down As One Of The Greats Of The Game: Ben Stokes

Stokes remarked before the first One-Day International between England and South Africa that he was pleased with Kohli’s words of praise and considered him one of the finest players ever to play the game.

“Look, Virat, he is going to go down as one of the greatest ever players to play the game in all three formats. He is a phenomenal player. And I have absolutely loved every time I have played against someone like him,” Stokes told Sky Sports.

“The energy and the commitment that he gives to the game is something I have always really admired even before I started playing against him.

“When you play against guys like that you understand sort of what means to not just yourself but for everybody else who was lucky enough to play at the top level. I loved every single time I have played against him,” he added.

“I’m sure we will have some other battles on the field. So, yes, it is nice to hear what he said about me,” he concluded.

Stokes made the major choice to retire from ODIs in order to control his workload, as he believes playing all three forms is unsustainable for him right now. Stokes has played 104 One-Day Internationals, scoring 2919 runs and taking 74 wickets.

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