England all-rounder Ben Stokes’ incredible performance against New Zealand propelled him to become the highest individual scorer ever for England in the ODI format of the game. The southpaw was at his absolute best against the Blackcaps to score 182 runs which included nine sixes and fifteen fours surpassing Jason Roy’s previous record of 180 runs against Australia in Melbourne.
Coming into bat at 13-2, Stokes and Dawid Malan added 199 runs for the third wicket, a record stand for England in an ODI. It becomes pertinent to mention that Eoin Morgan and Joe Root registered a 198-run partnership against New Zealand in Nottingham in 2015. Stokes completed his century for England in just 76 balls, to announce his remarkable comeback in ODIs.
He joined the 3000-run club for the first time in ODIs, demonstrating his all-round prowess in the limited-overs game. New Zealand had a daunting job of chasing down 369 runs to win the game after England posted a challenging total of 368, the Kiwis were bundled out for 181. The current series score is 2-1, with England winning at the Rose Bowl on Sunday and at the Kennington Oval, London on Wednesday. New Zealand won the first game of the series in Cardiff by beating England in the ODI series opener.
Ben Stokes cited a tight schedule and a tiring body for retiring from 50-over international cricket in July 2022. He came out of retirement for the 2023 World Cup in India. He has established himself as one of the modern-day greats of the game and has been a revelation for the Three Lions in the ICC events.
The all-rounder played an integral role in England’s 2019 World Cup campaign on home soil, hitting an unbeaten 84 in the final against New Zealand at Lord’s to script a thrilling win for his side. Ben Stokes was man of the match in the 2019 World Cup final when England beat New Zealand in the final and can be crucial for the defending champions’ chances in the marquee event.
The 32-year-old also played a pivotal role in England’s victory against Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup final. He struck an unbeaten 52 to rescue their side to win the championship in Australia. Given his extensive international cricket experience, he would also assist the English captain Jos Buttler in making decisions and may be a key member of the team heading into the huge event in India.