“I will play my last game for England in ODI cricket on Tuesday in Durham. I have decided to retire from this format. This has been an incredibly tough decision to make. I have loved every minute of playing with my mates for England. We have had an incredible journey on the way,” was England all-rounder Ben Stokes’ statement on social media earlier today.
Having played all forms of the game for many years now, Stokes has decided to hang up his boots in the ODI format, while continuing to contribute in Tests and T20Is. And the world of cricket was taken by storm with this announcement as he’s one of the best all-rounders in the world, and everyone loves to watch him play. Also, he’s still only 31 years old.
Virat Kohli on Ben Stokes retirement
Hundreds of cricketers wished him well after he made this shock announcement today. “As hard as a decision as this was to come to, it’s not as hard dealing with the fact I can’t give my teammates 100% of myself in this format anymore. The England shirt deserves nothing less from anyone who wears it,” he added about why he decided to retire from ODI cricket.
Among the many who decided to wish him luck or congratulate him on a great ODI career was former Indian captain and one of the best ODI players in cricket history, Virat Kohli. He commented on Stokes’ Instagram post and complimented him on his attitude and approach towards the game, which we have to agree has been unmatched.
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“You’re the most competitive bloke I’ve ever played against. Respect.” was Kohli’s comment on the Stokes retirement post, which came with an image of him holding the ICC 50-over World Cup, which Stokes helped England win back in 2019 at home itself. Kohli’s comment reflects everyone’s sentiments towards Stokes and the way he’s always given 110% on the field.
Kohli himself is full of passion for the game and gives his best at all times, so he was quick to compliment a fellow cricketer for having done so over his career too. Many other teammates like Stuart Broad, Ollie Pope, and others were quick to comment on Stokes’ post, but Kohli’s comment got 40,000 likes in just a matter of a couple of hours.
“Three formats are just unsustainable for me now. 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 like I have over the past 11 years,” added Stokes in his statement.
❤️🏴 pic.twitter.com/xTS5oNfN2j
— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) July 18, 2022
He’s clearly managing his workload like how Broad and James Anderson did many years ago, and they’ve continued to be loyal servants for England in the longest format ever since then. For similar cricket and other sports news from around the world, stay tuned to ReadScoops.com…
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