Star Australian All-Rounder Announces Retirement from ODI Cricket Ahead of Champions Trophy

Canberra (The Uttam Hindu): Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis announced his retirement from One Day Internationals (ODIs) on Thursday, February 6, ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Although Stoinis had been named in Australia's 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy, the 35-year-old has decided to focus on T20 cricket moving forward.

Stoinis' most recent ODI appearance for Australia came during the series against Pakistan, where he scored eight runs and bowled three overs, conceding 11 runs, in the third ODI. Reflecting on his ODI career, Stoinis described it as an "incredible journey" and expressed his gratitude for every moment spent representing Australia in the 50-over format. He also stated that he would be supporting the Australian team during the Champions Trophy.

"Playing ODI cricket for Australia has been an incredible journey, and I'm grateful for every moment I've had in the green and gold. Representing my country at the highest level is something I'll always cherish. This wasn't an easy decision, but I believe it's the right time for me to step away from ODIs and fully focus on the next chapter of my career. I've got a fantastic relationship with Ron (Andrew McDonald) and I've hugely appreciated his support. I'll be cheering the boys on in Pakistan," Stoinis said in a media release.

A Glimpse into Marcus Stoinis' ODI Journey

Stoinis made his ODI debut in September 2015 against England in Leeds, but had to wait 16 months to play his second match, which came against New Zealand in January 2017. In that second match, he was named Player of the Match for his all-round performance, taking 3/49 in 10 overs and scoring an unbeaten 146 runs off 117 balls, despite Australia losing the match. Throughout his career, Stoinis played 71 ODIs, scoring 1495 runs at an average of 26.69, with one century and six fifties.

He also took 48 wickets with best figures of 3/16. Stoinis was part of Australia's victorious 2023 ODI World Cup campaign and was named Australia's ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2018-19. Following his retirement from ODIs, the National Selection Panel (NSP) will announce a replacement for Stoinis in the Champions Trophy squad after the conclusion of Australia's ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka.