Virat Kohli vs Steve Smith - comparing their captaincy records in ODIs

The cricketing world was in for a massive surprise when Australian batter Steve Smith announced his ODI retirement a day after the side's semifinal loss to India in the 2025 Champions Trophy. The 35-year-old led a depleted Australian side without regular skipper Pat Cummins admirably, with a memorable win over England in the group stage opener being the highlight.

As the players exchanged pleasantries after the high-octane India-Australia semifinal, Smith was seen having an emotional conversation with ace Indian batter Virat Kohli. While Kohli continues to bat at an extremely high level, his walking away from Indian captaincy was far from ideal at the end of the 2021 season.

Kohli also had the unenviable task of succeeding arguably India's greatest ODI captain, MS Dhoni, who led the side to titles in the 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy.

Smith also led Australia permanently between 2016 and 2018, when the expectations were sky-high following their 2015 World Cup triumph.

It begs the question of how the duo fared as ODI captains of the top two countries in terms of expectations and limelight. Did leadership affect their batting adversely or propel them to greater heights? Let us find out in the sections below.

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Overall ODI captaincy numbers

Virat Kohli and Steve Smith inherited relatively strong Indian and Australian ODI teams when they took over as permanent captains at a similar time. Kohli took over the reigns from Dhoni at the start of 2017, while Smith did the same from Michael Clarke at the end of the 2015 season.

The pair also captained in ODIs temporarily at other times during the absence of the regular skipper, like Smith in the ongoing Champions Trophy. On that note, here is a look at how the duo led in ODIs during their stint as Indian and Australian captains:

Kohli vs Smith - Overall ODI captaincy numbers

While Kohli and Smith never tasted any ICC event success as ODI captains, the former's legacy as Indian skipper has been massively tainted due to it. Yet, his overall record as ODI captain is nothing short of sensational, with a win percentage of over 70 after 95 games at the helm.

Meanwhile, Smith managed to barely win more than he lost as Australia's ODI captain. His win percentage of under 54 is substantially lesser than Kohli's.

Edge: Virat Kohli

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Batting numbers as captain

Captaincy aside, Virat Kohli and Steve Smith were the glue of India and Australia's ODI sides for most of the 2010s and beyond. It speaks to their ability to handle pressure and scrutiny that the duo remained top dogs and match-winners with the bat despite carrying the leadership burden.

Yet, who was a better ODI batter between Kohli and Smith while captaining their respective sides?

Kohli vs Smith - Batting numbers as ODI captain

The above table highlights how Kohli and Smith maintained high batting standards in ODIs even as captains. Yet, while Smith's 43.65 average and 84.67 strike rate are impressive, Kohli's batting numbers as captain are from a different stratosphere.

India's Mr. Reliable lived up to his billing and more with the bat, even while leading the ODI side, averaging a remarkable 72.65 at a strike rate of 98.28. Kohli's 5,000-plus runs with 21 centuries as captain would be an incredible complete ODI career for most former or current batters - evidence of Kohli's ability to consistently lead from the front.

Edge: Virat Kohli

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Impact of captaincy on Kohli and Smith's ODI batting

Virat Kohli and Steve Smith have been two of the modern greats in the ODI format, irrespective of whether they captained their sides or played as specialist batters. Yet, it will be worthwhile looking at how captaincy affected the duo in their ODI batting.

Did their numbers diminish as captains compared to those as pure batters, or did the higher responsibility get the best out of them?

Kohli vs Smith - ODI batting number as captain and non-captain

From the above table, it is clear that Kohli was buoyed by captaincy, with his batting numbers escalating to incredible heights when leading the Indian ODI side. While the overall numbers and those as a pure batter are impressive with 50+ averages and 90+ strike rates, the 72.65-98.28 average and strike rate splits as skipper indicate a considerable rise.

Meanwhile, Smith's batting remained unaffected by captaincy, positively or negatively, with the Aussie star boasting similar numbers overall as captain and as a non-captain.

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Conclusion

In conclusion, it is safe to say that Virat Kohli achieved more success as a captain in ODIs compared to Steve Smith. Team success aside, the Indian legend also displayed a marked increase in his batting exploits as ODI captain, while Smith's impact remained nearly the same, captaincy or not.

Winner: Virat Kohli