A few hours after the heartbreaking jolt in the 1st semi-final against India, a renowned batsman and former captain, Steve Smith, decided it was the peak of his ODI career. It was only top-order batter, Smith from Australia’s side staying on the crease longer with his relentless knock of 73 runs. Having all odds in favour of Men in Blue winning the match by 4 wickets, Australia tested bitter defeat in a knockout match. Featuring in 170 ODI matches, Steve Smith has officially announced to take retirement from 50-50 over format.
Steve Smith has had a long career in all formats of cricket, and he is known for decisive innings, known as the epitome of batting prowess. Coming to bat at third position, Steve Smith’s ODI career began in 2010 against West Indies, but he did not get batting as initially his role was assumed to be of a leg-spinner and lower order batsman. He played his first inning against England, and his first ton came against Pakistan in Sharjah.
Steve Smith culminated his ODI career with an average of 43.28, taking 12 centuries and 35 half-centuries to be named among top-ranked batsmen. In 2016, Smith’s highest score (164) with a strike rate of 104.45 was the best inning for him against New Zealand in Sydney. As an ODI captain, the success has been on and off for him, having won matches with a winning percentage of 50. Below, you can delve into Steve Smith’s ODI format stats and his records of captaincy in ODIs.
Steve Smith ODI Format Stats
| Span | Matches | Innings | Runs | HS | Average | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-2025 | 170 | 154 | 5800 | 164 | 43.28 | 86.96 | 12 | 35 | 521 | 58 |
Steve Smith as a Captain in ODI Format
Steve Smith brought runs on the table in the ODI World Cup 2015, having topped the charts among all Australian batters. It is undeniable to say that he was a frontrunner, leading the Australian Men’s team to lift the World Cup. Smith has been a skipper in 64 ODI matches and won on 32 occasions, with a winning percentage of 50, as the team lost on 28 occasions.
| Matches | Won | Lost | W/L | W% | L% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | 32 | 28 | 1.14 | 50.00 | 43.75 |
Steve Smith will continue to be seen in red-ball cricket and fast-paced T20Is. He also appears in IPL, having more victories as a captain out of all the matches he led the IPL teams. Certainly, when Australia appears in the next ODI matches, Steve Smith will be remembered for his determination, passion, and resiliency.
