Steve Smith and Virat Kohli are two of the modern-day greats of batting. Their careers have run parallel to each other. The duo has been a part of several iconic series involving India and Australia. Having dominated world cricket at their peaks, both players have gradually entered the twilight of their international careers.
While Virat only plays the ODI format for India, Smith is still active in T20Is and Tests.Virat announced his retirement from T20I cricket after winning the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 title in the USA and the Caribbean. His last Test series was the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2024-25 in Australia, which India lost 3-1.
Also read: Saim Ayub vs Abhishek Sharma: PSL 2026 vs IPL 2026 Earnings Compared
Though Virat doesn’t play T20Is anymore, he is still an active T20 player and represents Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). RCB are paying INR 21 crore to Virat for IPL 2026. He was offered the same amount for the IPL 2025 season.
Steve Smith attracts buyer in PSL after going unsold at IPL 2026 auction
Meanwhile, Smith had registered for the IPL auction 2026 but couldn’t attract any bids. His base price was INR 2 crore.After attracting no buyers in the IPL, Smith made himself available for the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Sialkot Stallionz signed him for PKR 14 crore (INR 4.70 crore approx.).
Stallionz then renamed themselves to Multan Sultans before the start of the season. Smith was the joint-leading run-scorer for Multan Sultans (MS) this season alongside Sahibzada Farhan. Both players scored 380 runs. Smith averaged 34.54 and batted at a strike rate of 161.70.
The former Australia captain also struck a hundred and two fifties during the course of the tournament. Smith played a vital role in helping Multan Sultans reach the Eliminator. Sultans were beaten by Hyderabad Kingsmen by eight wickets, and that brought an end to Smith’s PSL 2026 season. Notably, this was Smith’s first appearance in the PSL.
