Smith Beats Tendulkar's Record in High-Stakes ICC Games

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June 11, 2025 21:39 IST

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Steve Smith

IMAGE: Australia's Steve Smith celebrates after reaching his half century. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Reuters

Steve Smith has once again proved why he’s Australia’s go-to man in crunch matches—by eclipsing none other than Sachin Tendulkar in a major ICC knockout record.

Smith’s latest feat came during the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s, where he played a lone hand for Australia, scoring a fluent 66 off 112 balls against South Africa. Walking in at a precarious 16/2, Smith once again proved his big-match mettle, striking 10 crisp boundaries at a strike rate of nearly 59.

 

This was Smith’s seventh fifty-plus score in ICC knockouts, edging past Tendulkar, who had six such scores across 15 matches. While Tendulkar amassed 682 runs at an average of 48.71 with one century and five fifties, Smith now boasts 650 runs in just 13 innings, averaging an impressive 59.09, with two centuries and nine fifties.

Despite Smith’s rise, Virat Kohli remains in a league of his own. The Indian superstar is the only player with 1,000+ runs in ICC knockout games, scoring 1,024 runs in 22 matches at an average of 51.20. His record includes 10 fifty-plus scores, headlined by a majestic 117 against New Zealand in the 2023 World Cup semifinal in Mumbai.

Smith’s consistency in pressure games has further solidified his reputation as one of Australia’s greatest modern-day clutch performers.

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