Steve Smith retires from ODIs after Australia's defeat in semis

One of the greatest cricketers of his generation, Australia batter Steve Smith has announced retirement from ODI cricket after the team's elimination from the ICC Champions Trophy on Tuesday. Smith was named the captain of the national team for the tournament after primary skipper Pat Cummins was ruled out due to an injury. Smith led his troops all the way to the semi-final of the tournament before his team was eliminated by Rohit Sharma-led India. 

Smith, who retires as one of the most prolific cricketers for Australia in the format, featured in a whopping 170 ODIs for the team, scoring 5720 runs with 12 centuries while also winning the World Cup twice. However, the announcement means that Smith will not be a part of the Australian team in the 2027 ODI World Cup.

"It has been a great ride, and I have loved every minute of it," Smith said. "There have been so many amazing times and wonderful memories. Winning two World Cups was a great highlight along with the many fantastic team-mates who shared the journey," he added in a media release shared by Cricket Australia.

Smith also attended Australia's post-match press conference on Tuesday after the defeat against India. During the press conference, Smith was asked about the expectations from Australia to do well in ICC events and what went wrong this time. The veteran batter admitted that the inexperience in the side cost them a spot in the final.

Smith was Australia's top-scoring batter in the semi-final with 73 runs off 96 balls. With Smith quitting the ODI format and not a central figure in the team's T20 setup, the Test format is the only platform where the batter would be seen in action.