‘Apologise to Jason’ – Ben Stokes after eclipsing Jason Roy's ODI record

In a thrilling display of power-hitting prowess, England's dynamic all-rounder Ben Stokes etched his name into the annals of cricket history with a record-breaking knock of 182 against New Zealand during the third ODI. The spectacle unfolded at The Oval, where England, having been asked to bat first by the Kiwis, found themselves in a precarious position at 13/2. Stokes, however, strode to the crease, and what followed was nothing short of a masterclass in aggressive batting.

Undeterred by the early setbacks, the English duo ensured the Kiwi bowlers were kept on their toes. as the England all-rounder orchestrated a formidable 199-run partnership for the third wicket with Dawid Malan, who narrowly missed out on a well-deserved century by just four runs. The collective effort propelled England to an imposing 368 in 48.1 overs despite a late lower-order collapse. Eventually they emerged victorious by 181 runs.

Apart from being the Player of the Match, the left-handed batter surpassed the previous highest individual score for England, a record previously held by Jason Roy (180 runs), which was achieved against Australia in Melbourne in 2018. In a light-hearted post-match gesture, Stokes playfully "apologized" to his teammate Roy for eclipsing his milestone.

"Really pleased. Apologise to Jason. We spoke about putting New Zealand under pressure and getting to a good start and even after losing those early wickets, we wanted to be positive. Once we got going, we did not want them to settle.” Stokes said during the post-match presentation.

Stokes on taking up new role as senior player in the team

England’s 2019 World Cup hero, acknowledging his role as a senior player, emphasized the importance of guiding the younger talents in the squad. He lauded the consistency and skill of his partner in crime, Dawid Malan.

“As experienced players, we need to guide the younger players. He (Malan) is a very consistent player, he is a very quality player, rotates the strike very well as well and missed out on the milestone after getting a strangle down leg. I am feeling much better, Test matches are a bit longer but ODIs surely are not that demanding," he said.