Yesterday India knocked Australia out of the Champions Trophy 2025 by defeating them by 4 wkts following which one thing that happened is the interaction between Steve Smith and India’s star batter Virat Kohli.
After the match was over, both batters were seen together and after a brief conversation, Virat Kohli hugged Steve Smith. It is probably speculated that Steve Smith might have told Virat Kohli about his retirement to him.
But soon after this moment later this morning, Steve Smith announced his retirement from the ODI format after defeat against India in Champions Trophy semifinal.
According to a Cricket Australia media release, the former ODI skipper will continue to be available for Test cricket and Twenty20 Internationals.
Also Read: Steve Smith’s Major Controversies Against India That Tarnished His Image
Beginning Of A New Friendship
Once the foes, Steve Smith and Virat Kohli turned into good friends. This thing happened during the India vs Australia match in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, where Virat Kohli showed a remarkable gesture that changed Steve Smith’s perception of him.
Smith, returning to international cricket after serving a one-year ban due to the “Sandpapergate” scandal, was constantly booed by the English crowd at The Oval. Every time he walked near the boundary, the crowd jeered and taunted him with chants of “cheater.”
Noticing this, Kohli, who was batting at the time, turned to the crowd and gestured for them to stop booing and instead applaud Smith. He even walked over to Smith to shake hands, showing immense sportsmanship and respect for his opponent.
Here’s the official video from ICC X-Handle:
With India fans giving Steve Smith a tough time fielding in the deep, @imVkohli suggested they applaud the Australian instead.
— ICC (@ICC) June 9, 2019
Absolute class 👏 #SpiritOfCricket #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/mmkLoedxjr
Smith later appreciated the gesture and acknowledged that it changed his perception of Kohli. While the two had previously shared an intense on-field rivalry, this act strengthened mutual respect between them. Kohli’s act was widely praised as a moment of true sportsmanship, proving that cricket is much more than just competition.
