Steve Smith Surpasses Sachin Tendulkar in ICC Knockout Fifty-Plus Scores

Smith Climbs the Ranks in ICC Knockout History

London [UK], June 11: Australian cricket star Steve Smith has surpassed the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, moving into second place for the most fifty-plus scores in ICC tournament knockout matches.

Smith continues to enhance his reputation as Australia's premier clutch performer, having scored another half-century against South Africa during the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord's. Coming in at a challenging 16/2, Smith showcased his batting prowess, amassing 66 runs off 112 balls, including 10 boundaries, at a strike rate of 58.92.

This marks Smith's seventh fifty-plus score in ICC knockout matches, surpassing Tendulkar, who recorded six such scores across 15 matches, accumulating 682 runs at an average of 48.71, which includes one century and five fifties.

While Smith has fewer total runs, with 650 runs in 13 matches at an impressive average of 59.09, he has achieved two centuries and nine fifties, with his highest score being 121.

Virat Kohli of India remains the standout player in ICC knockout history, being the only cricketer to score over 1,000 runs in these matches. Kohli has amassed 1,024 runs in 22 matches and 24 innings, averaging 51.20, with one century and nine fifties, totaling 10 fifty-plus scores, and his best performance being 117 against New Zealand in the 2023 World Cup semifinal in Mumbai.

In the match, South Africa won the toss and chose to bat first, putting Australia under pressure at 67/4 by the end of the first session. However, contributions from Smith (66) and Beau Webster (55*) helped Australia recover to 190/6 by the end of the second session, with Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen each taking two wickets.