The England Cricket team has come a long way since they have started playing the game of cricket. From being given the credit to be founders of cricket to being called losers of the game as they could never manage a world cup victory. However, things have changed over the past few years and they have emerged as the strongest side in the world with all their playing 11 piling up runs and giving all-round performances. Fantasy cricket last year in 2019, an ace all-rounder with 10 credits on the BalleBaazi app being chosen as Captain most of the time and as a result, helped England become world champions for the very first time in international cricket history. Yes, we are talking about our birthday boy Benjamin Andrew Stokes!

The contributions of this ace English all-rounder in the year 2019 will be remembered forever as long as England cricket survives because 2019 was a dream year for Ben Stokes as he had the absolute Midas touch with him. He has crowned the ICC Cricketer of the year and was given the OBE by Prince Harry for his contribution to the World Cup final.

Let us take a look back at the rise of a true Champion and one of the best all-rounders the cricket world has seen:

• World Cup 2019: That Blinder

  In the first match of 2019 against South Africa, Akile Phelukwayo put away a slog at mid-wicket and the ball was sailing away for six but Ben Stokes standing at that position had other plans. He started running backward, jumped just at the right time took a one-handed blinder rolled once on the floor, and celebrated his triumph. Adil Rashid the bowler came running towards his teammate and congratulated him on this rare feat. Nasser Hussain & Saurav Ganguly in the commentary box exclaimed, “You cannot do that Ben Stokes!”

• World Cup 2019: Innings of His Life

  By the barest of margins, as Ian Smith said after England won the World Cup in 2019. The match ended in a tie and so did the super over that followed. England won because of the boundary count rule; while the result is debatable till date we simply cannot forget that epic knock of 84* by Ben Stokes. The sixes on yorkers of Trent Boult to that accidental six runs when he was saving himself to get run out, every single thing about that knock is simply heroic. Stokes held his nerves throughout the game but looked disappointed when the match ended in a tie. However, while batting in the super over he continued his amazing form and with Buttler smashed 14 runs that helped England in their first world cup triumph. He has adjudged the player of the match.

• Ashes 2019: Headingley Heroics

  The greatest knock in the history of test cricket came from the bat of Ben Stokes last year at Headingley in the Ashes series. Chasing 359 against Australia’s lethal bowling attack England was struggling at 287/9 and in came Jack Leech to partner with Ben Stokes. What came next was the greatest innings the world has ever seen and yes I am talking about Jack & Ben both. Ben was hitting sixes and fours all along the ground because it was a do or die situation with Australia already 1-0 ahead in the series. Leech took that epic single at short fine leg and gave Stokes the much-needed strike. Stokes hit the winning boundary and the score read 362/9! Watch the celebration video a million times and you won’t get tired. It was a knock to remember, the greatest ever!

• Accolades and Respect in World Cricket

  Ben Stokes was awarded for his dream run in the year 2019 as he was conferred the ICC Cricketer of the year, the BBC sportsperson of the year, and the Officer of the Highest Order of the British Empire by Prince Harry himself. Ben Stokes is a true example of the coming of age of an all-time cricketing legend and the way he has carried himself after his 2016 T20 World Cup failure just goes to show what champions are made up of.

• T20 World Cup 2016 Final: Where it all started

  Remember the name? Yes, those 4 brutal sixes that took the game away from England in the final of the 2016 T20 World Cup and helped West Indies become world champions. Carlos Brathwaite became a hero that day but guess who was on the receiving end? The greatest modern-day all-rounders had the worst day in fantasy cricket at that moment. Ben Stokes began his era of resilience after this shocker of a match.

Happy Birthday, Stokesy, we wish you many 2019s in future!

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