“I've loved every time I've played against him” - Ben Stokes responds to Virat Kohli’s message on his ODI retirement 

England all-rounder Ben Stokes has responded to Virat Kohli’s message for the former after he announced his one-day retirement on Monday (July 18). The 31-year-old stated that Kohli will go down as one of the greatest across formats. The Englishman added that he admires the Indian batter’s commitment and energy.

Stokes stunned world cricket by announcing that he would retire from one-day cricket after England’s first ODI against South Africa in Durham on Tuesday.

Replying to the England legend’s Instagram post, announcing his one-day retirement, Kohli commented:

“You’re the most competitive bloke I’ve ever played against. Respect.”

Stokes reacted to Kohli’s message in an interview on Sky Sports ahead of the first England-South Africa one-dayer. Hailing the former Indian captain, he said:

“He's going to go down as one of the greatest ever in all formats. I've loved every time I've played against him. The energy and commitment he gives, I've always admired. When you play against guys like that, you understand what it means at the top level. It was nice to hear.”

Stokes and Kohli have had their fair share of run-ins on the cricket field. During the Test series in India last year, the duo were involved in an ugly verbal spat.

However, the England all-rounder later played down the incident. He stated that there is nothing wrong in two competitors locking horns, with neither of them willing to back down.

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What Ben Stokes said while announcing his one-day retirement

Announcing his shock decision to retire from ODIs on Monday, the England all-rounder lamented that he wasn’t able to give his 100 percent in the format. His official statement read:

"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.”

Adding that playing the three formats is just unsustainable for him now, he elaborated:

“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.”

Stokes’ statement further read:

"I will give everything I have to Test cricket, and now, with this decision, I feel I can also give my total commitment to the T20 format."

The 2019 World Cup-winning all-rounder will end his one-day career with 105 matches. He has so far scored 2919 runs and has claimed 74 wickets in the format.