Over the years, Ben Stokes has become one of the finest all-rounders to have played the game. His uncanny ability to make things happen on the field - with both bat and ball - has made him a genuine match-winner across formats. Mere numbers will never do justice to his impact. The star of the epic 2019 world cup final, England's Ben Stokes shocked the cricketing world by announcing his retirement from the one-day internationals. He played his last ODI on Tuesday( July 19 )against South Africa. He announced his retirement from the format a day before the game stating that it was difficult for him to play in all three formats. Let us look at some of the best knocks from Ben Stokes in ODI this list. This innings from the world cup 2019 final might go down as one of the best in cricket.
84* vs New Zealand, 2019 World Cup final
These innings should be surely on the top of this list. The innings by Ben Stokes in the 2019 world cup final might go down as one of the best-ever innings in a World Cup game. The left-hander showed nerves of steel to take England to their first title. England was chasing a total of 242, and they were reduced to 83 for 4. Jos Buttler and Stokes stitched together a partnership to bring the hosts on an even keel. However, Jos Buttler was dismissed and this is when Stokes took charge. wickets kept tumbling on the other hand, but the left-hander kept England in the hunt. With 15 runs still needed in the last over, Stokes summoned the best of his hitting ability and some timely luck to help his country tie the game. He remained unbeaten on 84, before scoring 8 out of his team's 15 Super-Over runs and helping England clinch their maiden World Cup title.
99 vs India, 2021
Chasing 337 for the win, England got off to a great start as their openers Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow added 110 for the first wicket. Ben Stokes came in at number 3, and after a cautious start, he exploded. Along with Jonny Bairstow, he helped England decimate the target with almost 40 balls to spare. Once he got to his fifty off 40 balls, he hit 6,6,6,1,6,4,2,6,6,2,4, but fell just one short of a hundred, getting caught down the leg side off Bhuvneshwar Kumar's bowling.
89 vs South Africa, 2019
Ben Stokes was all over the first match of the 2019 Cricket World Cup. He plucked out a stunning catch at the boundary after an incredible 89 that powered England to 311. South Africa never got going in the chase and they eventually lost the match by 104 runs. He hit 9 fours throughout his innings and it was a shame he could not complete his century. But this innings lay the marker for him as a player and for England as a side as they went on to clinch the title.
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102 vs Australia in 2017 CT
It was a crucial group-stage encounter of the 2017 Champions Trophy and the hosts, in reply to Australia’s 9-277, were in all sorts of trouble after Jos Hazlewood [2-50] and Mitchell Starc [1-52] had wreaked havoc on their top-order, reducing them to 3-35 within the first six overs. Enter Ben Stokes. The all-rounder hadn’t managed to score an ODI hundred up until that point in his 45-match career and he fittingly chose this game to break the duck. Stokes proceeded to belt the Australian attack to all corners of the Edgbaston Cricket Ground and all along with skipper Eoin Morgan [87] and Jos Buttler [29*] took the home side from the brink of elimination to a place in the semi-finals. Stokes stroked 2 sixes and 13 fours in his unbeaten 109-ball 102 to knock the Aussies out of the Champions Trophy.
71* vs Pakistan, 2019
A Babar Azam century helped Pakistan put up a more-than-competitive 340 on the board in their 50 overs. This was always supposed to be a tough task for the hosts but Jason Roy set the ball rolling as he added 94 runs with James Vince for the first wicket. And then Ben Stokes came along, and in a high-pressure situation, he showed his temperament with a brilliantly paced 71 runs off 64 balls, helping the hosts chase down the target with 3 balls to spare.
