In the semi -finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the Australian team lost by 4 wickets to India. After the defeat, Kangaroo captain Steve Smith took a decision that surprised the fans. Smith suddenly retired from ODI International (ODI). Smith’s record in ODI International has been excellent and it was expected that he would definitely play till the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Smith’s dream of playing Olympics …
Steve Smith clarified during the retirement announcement that he would continue to play Test and T20 International. Smith’s performance in the Test has been super, but he has not done anything special in T20 International. In such a situation, if Smith retired from T20 International, it would not be that much shocking. But Smith’s eyes are on Los Angeles Olympics 2028, in which he wants to play for Australia. Smith will be 39 years old by then, in such a situation, everything will depend on his form.
After playing a century innings in the Big Bash League in January this year, Steve Smith said, ‘I want to play Olympics, I think it will be quite cool. You will see how much I can go in long format cricket. But I will play short format cricket for some time.
Los Angeles Olympics will be played in the Cricket T20 format in 2028. Let us know that cricket is returning to the Olympic Games after 128 years. Earlier, Cricket joined the 1900 Paris Olympics only once. Then the teams of Great Britain and France participated in it. Great Britain had managed to win gold and France silver medals. The surprising thing was that only one match of cricket was played between Great Britain and France in that Olympics and the same match was declared a final.
Smith’s eye on Sachin-Potting records
35 -year -old Steve Smith has scored 10271 runs in 116 Tests at an average of 56.74. During this, 36 centuries and 41 half -centuries are eyeing his bat. Smith can still be seen playing this format for 3-4 years, due to which he can make even more records. Smith would like to overtake Ricky Ponting in Test cricket by 13378 runs. Ponting is Australia’s most successful Test batsman.
Steve Smith will also be eyeing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 Test centuries. Smith says about Test cricket, ‘Test cricket is still a priority and I am excited to play the World Test Championship Final, West Indies in winter and then against England at home. I think I can still contribute a lot to that level.
In the T20 International, Steve Smith has scored 1094 runs from 24.86, which included 5 half -centuries. Smith’s strike rate in T20I has been 125.45. Smith played 170 ODIs in Australia, scoring 5800 runs at a average of 43.28 and a strike rate of 86.96. It included 12 centuries and 35 half -centuries. Steve Smith’s highest score at ODI was 164 runs, which came against New Zealand at Sydney Cricket Ground in 2016. Smith also took 28 wickets in ODI.
Let me tell you that due to Pat Cummins being engaged, Steve Smith was handling the captaincy of the Australian team in the Champions Trophy. Smith said after the defeat in the semi -finals that it was a difficult wicket and the situation of batting was not easy. Smith believed that if his team had scored more than 280 runs, the result of the match could have been different.