In a decision that stunned fans and even caught his own teammates off guard, Ben Stokes has declared that he will step down as captain of England’s Test side and retire from international cricket, effective at the conclusion of the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.

The news was disclosed with typically dramatic timing: on the fourth day of the match, just 15 minutes before the tea break, with England fielding and Stokes working through one of his signature extended bowling spells.

Known for delivering in high-pressure moments, he claimed a wicket with his very first ball after the announcement.

Joe Root later called it “the most Ben thing ever.” He then moved himself up to open in England’s second innings, producing a frenetic 30 from 20 deliveries, and bows out with 7,273 runs and 252 wickets in Test cricket.

He is only the second player, after South Africa’s Jacques Kallis, to achieve the double of 7,000 Test runs and 250 wickets.

After the match, the 35-year-old revealed that he had been seriously contemplating retirement since the first Test of the series at Lord’s, which he called “a very, very strange week” that brought back “some negative emotions about where I am in my career.”

This came on the back of a challenging spell following England’s heavy 4-1 Ashes defeat last winter, during which he also suffered a serious facial injury in February.

Since taking over from Joe Root as captain, Stokes has transformed England’s Test cricket philosophy, promoting fearless batting, aggressive declarations, and daring tactical calls.

His captaincy has revived confidence in the dressing room and turned England into one of the most exciting sides in world cricket.

England need 270 more runs to win the decider at Trent Bridge, with six wickets still in hand. New Zealand, who held an 84-run lead, posted 373 in their second innings, built on a strong partnership between Daryl Mitchell—unbeaten after scoring his sixth Test century—and Rachin Ravindra, who fell just six runs short of his hundred.