Steve Smith’s Underrated ODI Legacy

Australia qualified for the semi-finals of the 2025 Champions Trophy, making all Australian fans very happy. However, after losing to India in the semi-final in the Dubai, Australian superstar Steve Smith announced his retirement from ODI cricket. This was sad news not just for Australian fans but for cricket lovers all around the world.

Now, it’s time to look back at his incredible ODI career, which will always be remembered.

Steve Smith played a key role in two World Cups and was named Australia’s best ODI cricketer twice. He is considered one of the six greatest No. 3 batsmen in cricket history, alongside legends like Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, and Sir Vivian Richards. His outstanding performance in the 2015 World Cup final, where he played match-winning shots, proved his greatness. In the quarter-final of that World Cup, he fearlessly faced Wahab Riaz’s fast bowling and later scored a crucial century against India, leading Australia to victory. In 2020, Smith scored back-to-back centuries against India in just 62 balls. In 2022, he played a brilliant knock of 105 runs against New Zealand on difficult pitches.

Leadership and Fielding

As a captain, Smith led Australia in 64 ODI matches, but he never got the chance to captain the team in a World Cup due to the ball-tampering ban in 2018. Pat Cummins took over as captain by 2023.

Smith had the ability to play fast innings when needed. His exceptional game awareness, ability to handle pressure, and skill to adapt to different conditions made him one of Australia’s most valuable No. 3 batsmen.

His fielding was also outstanding. He was known for taking unbelievable catches at backward point. Interestingly, Smith started his career as a leg-spinner, but his remarkable batting skills turned him into one of Australia’s best batsmen. In his last 134 innings, he bowled only 11 times.

Teammates Pay Tribute

After his retirement, many of his teammates paid tribute to him on social media. Shane Watson recalled Smith’s brilliant innings in the 2015 World Cup quarter-final when Wahab Riaz’s fiery bowling troubled everyone. David Warner called him the best player he had played with. Cricket expert Sanjay Manjrekar said that now fans will see a better version of Steve Smith in Test cricket.

Let’s take a look at his ODI records, matches, fifties, and centuries.

A player like Steve Smith will always be remembered in cricket history. His incredible skills, great performances, strong mindset, and outstanding shot selection made him a legendary cricketer.