🎙️ “I can’t give 3 formats anymore.”
In 2022, Ben Stokes shocked the world:
“I’m done with ODIs.”
Too much load. Too much pressure. His body needed saving.
He wanted to give it all to Tests and T20s.
And let’s be real:
After a World Cup final, a T20 final, and single-handedly saving multiple chases, he owed nobody anything.
But then…
💥 2023 World Cup Looms. England in Panic Mode.
England’s middle order looked wobbly.
No fire. No finishers. No… Stokes Energy.
So what happens?
- Stokes un-retires.
- Flips the bird to logic.
- Walks back into ODIs like “Sup. Miss me?”
🧨 And Then He Drops This:
182 (124) vs New Zealand – England’s highest ever individual ODI score.
He didn’t just “return.”
He declared war with a bat.
- 15 fours. 9 sixes.
- Vintage violence.
- Zero mercy.
🧠 “The body hurts. But the game still needs me.”
– Stokes (probably, silently)
😬 The 2023 World Cup? A Disaster. Except for Stokes.
England’s campaign? Dead on arrival.
Everyone failed. But guess who fought till the end?
- 108 vs Netherlands
- 84 vs Pakistan
- Played through injury and still stood tall
Even when England were getting steamrolled, Stokes was swinging.
💬 “Retired. Unretired. Still our best.”
– Literally every English fan with functioning eyes
🧠 Final Take
Stokes quitting ODIs was fair.
But coming back? That was epic.
He’s the kind of guy who says “I’m done” but shows up when the team’s drowning.
Captain. Clutch. Comeback king.
