All about Ben Stokes retirement from international cricket
England Test captain Ben Stokes has announced his retirement from international cricket. On the fourth day of the third Test between England and New Zealand at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, Stokes informed his team about his decision in the dressing room before the start of play. He had claimed two wickets on the third day and, while opening the batting during the run chase, scored 30 runs off 20 balls—an innings that included two fours and two sixes. As soon as the fans in the stadium learned of his retirement, they began cheering for him. Opposing players gave him a guard of honour as he came out to bat. Although the official reason for his retirement has not been disclosed, the news came as no surprise following the nightclub incident that occurred after the first Test. He told his teammates in the dressing room,
"The reasons can wait, why, but I've had many trips to the well before for this team, for you blokes, for people beforehand, and I've got one more trip to do. The only thing that I ask, please, is can everyone do the same."
“We've got a lot of hard work to do, and the only thing I want is to be able to walk off that field, regardless of the result, knowing that I have had this group give everything for the last two days.
One of England's all-time greatest captains, Ben Stokes, has decided to retire from international cricket at the end of this Test match.
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 28, 2026
Ben, you have been the most inspirational captain, leader and legend this team could have ever hoped for.
We love you so much and wish you… pic.twitter.com/U5grq0F0kj
The career-ending controversy?
Ben Stokes and pacer Gus Atkinson were suspended for one match and investigated by the ECB after breaching a midnight curfew to attend a London nightclub in June 2026. This was not the first time Stokes' name had been linked to such an incident. Stokes had previously been found fighting in a nightclub. After the incident, there were continuous reports circulating about Stokes stepping down from captaincy and retiring, which have now been confirmed.
As match context, England needs 270 runs to win on the final day, while New Zealand needs 6 wickets. Whichever team wins this match will win the series.
This was definitely not on the cards! 😱😢
— OneTurf News (@oneturf_news) June 28, 2026
📸: ICC/X/Youtube#trending #benstokes #engvsnz #englandcricket #cricket
Disclaimer: The following content is created solely for entertainment and does not intend to offend or mislead. pic.twitter.com/x9cgudo815
From darkest day to his greatest triumph
Ben Stokes made his international debut against Ireland in Dublin in 2011 during an ODI match. Just a month later, he made his T20I debut against the West Indies at The Oval. He received his Test cap in 2013. Significant ups and downs marked Ben Stokes' early career. He was gradually cementing his place in the team when the worst phase of his career struck.
In the 2016 T20 World Cup final, Carlos Brathwaite hit four consecutive sixes off his final over, securing the title for the West Indies and shattering England's dreams. At the time, many believed Ben Stokes' career was over. However, Stokes made a powerful comeback and established himself as the premier all-rounder of his era. He played a pivotal role in leading England to victory in both the 2019 ODI World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup. Furthermore, he ushered in the 'Bazball' era in Test cricket, transforming the way fans perceive the format.
A look at Ben Stokes’ international career
He played a pivotal role in England's ODI and T20 World Cup victories, yet he achieved his greatest success in Test cricket. In the longest format of the game, he has amassed 7,273 runs, including 14 centuries and 37 half-centuries. One of his standout performances came early in his career during the 2016 Cape Town Test against South Africa, where he played a magnificent innings of 258 runs. However, he played the most magnificent innings of his Test career against Australia in the 2019 Headingley Test, where he single-handedly steered England to victory in a match that seemed lost, scoring 135 runs in the fourth innings. He was handed the reins of the Test team in 2020 after Joe Root stepped down as captain. Under his leadership, England played 44 Test matches, recording 24 wins, 17 losses, and 3 draws.
He has amassed 3463 runs in ODIs, including 24 half-centuries and 5 hundreds. He has scored 585 runs, including a fifty, in Twenty20 Internationals. He is among the top all-rounders of the modern era with 252 Test, 74 ODI, and 26 T20I wickets. He had announced his retirement from ODI cricket in 2022; although he came out of retirement for the 2023 World Cup, his performance was quite poor. He never played an ODI match after that, while the 2022 T20 World Cup final marked his last T20I appearance.
