T20 World Cup 2022: "You know the best thing about time? It changes" - Twitterati in awe of Ben Stokes as he leads England to the title
England all-rounder Ben Stokes stepped up to the plate once again when his team needed him to deliver the most in the T20 World Cup 2022. He maintained his composure to anchor the tense run chase on a tricky surface as Jos Buttler and Co. defeated Pakistan by five wickets on Sunday, November 13, to claim their second T20 World Cup title.
Doubts were cast over Stokes' inclusion in England's squad for the tournament, considering that his last T20I appearance came in March 2021. Moreover, the all-rounder's statistics in the shortest format also did not make for great reading.
The team management, however, showed full faith in Stokes and penciled in a designated role for him with the new ball as well as found a spot for him in the middle order. Despite his questionable statistics in T20 cricket, his ability to deliver under pressure and his calm temperament were arguably irreplaceable.
He also has his fair share of history with the competition. Stokes infamously bowled the final over of the 2016 edition, where England had to defend 19 runs to win the title. However, West Indies' Carlos Brathwaite hit four consecutive sixes to shatter England's hopes and Stokes.
Following a stellar spell with the new ball, where he got considerable swing, he finished with figures of 1-32. He came into bat with the score reading 32-2 in the fourth over and was up against a raging Pakistan bowling unit.
He maintained his composure, assessed the conditions, and forged crucial partnerships over the course of the run chase to get England over the line with one over to spare.
The Twitterati were delighted after the all-rounder finally exorcized the demons from the T20 World Cup 2016. Here are a few of the reactions on the social media platform:
2019 
2016 ➡️ 2019 ➡️ 2022
Ben Stokes, TAKE A BOW.
#PAKvENG #T20WorldCup https://t.co/4heOtyFQ29
What a journey for Ben Stokes from 2016 to 2022. https://t.co/C6z37J6vHO
Nasser Hussain: The redemption of Ben Stokes is over from the nightmare of Kolkata. https://t.co/4fDmh0HOHr
Ben Stokes. REMEMBER THE NAME. 2016 ke paap dhul gaye.
I saw Ben Stokes in tears back in 2016, and six years later I have seen him play a match-winning knock and score the winning runs. What a journey this has been.
You know the best thing about time? It changes.
#T20WorldCupFinal
From the low of 2016 final to the high of the 2022 final, the Ben Stokes story arc at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup has been quite something.
#T20WorldCupFinal https://t.co/IjN6iimdgU
From conceding winning runs of the 2016 World Cup final to hitting the winning runs of the 2022 World Cup final, what a redemption arc for Ben Stokes! ♥️
#T20WorldCup #T20WorldCupFinal https://t.co/kOVUQ7rPxc
The Redemption of Ben Stokes.
2016 T20 WC. 2022 T20 WC. https://t.co/bgfWw7RaFZ
In the span of six years, Ben Stokes has redeemed himself in the #T20WorldCupFinal 👏
#PAKvENG
The redemption of Ben Stokes 👏🔥
#BenStokes #England #ENGvsPAK #T20WorldCup #Cricket https://t.co/DKJa1jhvkE
The Synonym of Redemption is Ben Clutch Stokes 🐐 https://t.co/qOR0VssLG2
6 years on. Redemption for @benstokes38 https://t.co/YyoJAgvUR9
From here to winning TWO world cups for his team, Ben Stokes has went through a proper redemption saga!
#PAKvENG https://t.co/tVeKNvY8Oo
There are heroe's journeys, redemption stories etc.
Then there is Ben Stoke's tale..
Stratospheric Stokes!! #T20WorldCup #crickettwitter https://t.co/hatmiJYzcL
Victory! Redemption for Ben Stokes. 1st t20I fifty for him and what a time for it.
He was not at the right end of luck in 2016 but 2022, he has huffed, puffed and then hit his way through to a 49-ball 52* to see his team home.
Well won, England.
Ben Stokes guides England to their second T20 World Cup title
A clinical chase by Buttler and Co. at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) ensured that England became the second team after West Indies to win two T20 World Cup titles. The champions missed out on the title by a narrow margin across the last two editions but managed to go all the way this time around, just like they first did in 2010.
England are the first nation to hold both ODI and T20I World Cup titles at the same time. They previously won the 2019 ODI World Cup under Eoin Morgan's captaincy.
Is the English all-rounder the greatest big-match player in cricket history? Let us know what you think.