'You’re The Most Competitive Bloke I’ve Ever Played Against': Virat Kohli On Ben Stokes' Retirement From ODIs

Ben Stokes has declared that he would retire from one-day international cricket following England’s match against South Africa on Tuesday at Chester-le-Street.

Stokes was named England’s Test captain earlier this year and hence while announcing the retirement stated that playing three formats was simply unsustainable for him and that he felt he was impeding other players’ prospects.

Stokes will play his 105th ODI for England on Tuesday at his home stadium, the Riverside, having made his debut against Ireland in 2011. He enters his final game with a batting average of 39.44, a strike rate of 95.26, and 74 wickets.

His defining effort in the format was his 84-run innings that forced the 2019 World Cup final into a super over. England eventually won the world cup for the first time and Stokes was the player of the game.

I Want To Focus On Test Cricket: Ben Stokes

“Three formats are just unsustainable for me now,” he said. “Not only do I feel that my body is letting me down because of the schedule and what is expected of us, but I also feel that I am taking the place of another player who can give Jos and the rest of the team their all.

It’s time for someone else to progress as a cricketer and make incredible memories as I have over the past 11 years. I will give everything I have to Test cricket, and now, with this decision, I feel I can also give my total commitment to the T20 format,” Stokes said in a statement.

Stokes made 48 runs in three innings playing at No. 4 against India and bowled only three overs in the three-match series, but he leaves a significant void in England’s first-choice team. In the short term, they may look to Sam Curran, who served beverages throughout the India series, as the closest thing to a like-for-like substitute.

Reacting to Stokes’s retirement former India captain Virat Kohli commented on his Instagram post, “You’re the most competitive bloke I’ve ever played against. Respect.” 

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