Virat Kohli reacts as Ben Stokes retires from ODIs: 'You're the most competitive bloke I've played against'
Virat Kohli reacted to Ben Stokes' retirement from ODIs.
England all-rounder Ben Stokes shockingly announced his retirement from ODI cricket on Tuesday (July 18), confirming that he will play his final ODI for the country in the series-opener against South Africa in Durham on Tuesday. Stokes is regarded as one of the best all-rounders in world cricket and is a vital cog for England across all three formats of the game.
He was recently appointed as England's Test captain and has decided to quit the fifty-over format to focus on Tests and T20Is. Regarded as one of the best all-rounders in the world, Stokes had played a key role in helping England win their maiden ODI World Cup title in 2019.
The star all-rounder scored 465 runs and picked up 7 wickets for England in the 2019 World Cup, including a sensational knock of unbeaten 84 in the final which helped Eoin Morgan & Co. force the summit clash into a Super Over and beat New Zealand in the summit clash to lift the elusive trophy.
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Reacting to his retirement announcement, Indian superstar Virat Kohli lauded Stokes for the brave decision and called the 31-year-old the most competitive player he has played against. Kohli dropped a comment on Stokes' post on Instagram announcing his retirement from the fifty-over format.
"You’re the most competitive bloke I’ve ever played against. Respect," wrote the former India captain.
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In his statement, Stokes explained why he decided to quit ODIs despite being only 31 and said he felt playing all three formats was becoming unsustainable for him. The England all-rounder said he felt like his body his letting him down and wants to ensure someone who can give his all for the team gets a chance to take his place in England's ODI setup.
"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," said Stokes.
The star all-rounder has played 104 ODIs for England so far in his career and has amassed2919 runs in the format at an average of over 39. He has 3 hundreds and 21 fifties to his name in the fifty-over format along with 74 wickets.