Fab Four In ICC ODI Finals: How Have Kohli, Smith, Williamson, And Root Performed?

The ‘Fab Four’—Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, and Joe Root—were once seen as the future of batting. Over the years, they have led their teams and played in crucial ICC ODI finals. But how have they performed in these high-pressure matches?

Virat Kohli has played 5 finals, scoring 138 runs at an average of 27.60.
Steve Smith has featured in 2 finals, with 60 runs at a 60.00 average.
Kane Williamson has played 3 finals, accumulating 53 runs at 17.66 average.
Joe Root has appeared in 2 finals, scoring 14 runs at a 7.00 average.
Kohli, Smith, and Root have won World Cups, while Williamson is yet to win an ICC ODI title.

Virat Kohli’s Performance in ICC ODI Finals

Virat Kohli has played in five ICC ODI finals, contributing significantly in some while struggling in others.

Date	Event	Opposition	Runs	Venue	Result
April 2, 2011	Cricket World Cup	Sri Lanka	35(49)	Wankhede	India won
June 23, 2013	Champions Trophy	England	43(34)	Birmingham	India won
June 18, 2017	Champions Trophy	Pakistan	5(11)	The Oval	Pakistan won
Nov 19, 2023	Cricket World Cup	Australia	54(99)	Ahmedabad	Australia won
March 9, 2025	Champions Trophy	New Zealand	1(4)	DICS	India won

Steve Smith’s Performance in ICC ODI Finals

Smith has been more consistent, with a notable unbeaten 56 in the 2015 World Cup final.

Date	Event	Opposition	Runs	Venue	Result
March 29, 2015	Cricket World Cup	New Zealand	56(71)*	MCG	Australia won
Nov 19, 2023	Cricket World Cup	India	4(9)	Ahmedabad	Australia won

Kane Williamson’s Performance in ICC ODI Finals

Williamson has played three finals but has yet to win an ICC ODI title.

Date	Event	Opposition	Runs	Venue	Result
March 29, 2015	Cricket World Cup	Australia	12(33)	MCG	Australia won
July 14, 2019	Cricket World Cup	England	30(53)	Lord’s	England won
March 9, 2025	Champions Trophy	India	11(14)	DICS	India won

Joe Root’s Performance in ICC ODI Finals

Root played in two finals but struggled, managing just 14 runs across both matches.

Date	Event	Opposition	Runs	Venue	Result
June 23, 2013	Champions Trophy	India	7(9)	Birmingham	India won
July 14, 2019	Cricket World Cup	New Zealand	7(30)	Lord’s	England won

Virat Kohli has the most appearances (5) and runs (138), but his average (27.60) is moderate.
Steve Smith has the best average (60.00) but has played only 2 finals.
Kane Williamson and Joe Root have struggled, averaging below 20.

Among the Fab Four, Kohli has played the most finals, while Smith has been the most consistent. However, Williamson is yet to win an ICC ODI final, making him the only one without an ICC ODI trophy. As these players approach the latter stages of their careers, fans wonder if they will have more chances to improve their records.

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