"Steve Smith should've been in the World Cup and he's showing why" - Fans in awe of the Test specialist's splendid ton in the BBL 

Former Australia skipper Steve Smith asserted his credentials as an all-format player with a blistering hundred for the Sydney Sixers against the Adelaide Strikers on January 17. He scored 101 runs off 56 deliveries to help his side post a mammoth total in a bid to claim the top spot in the Big Bash League (BBL) table.

The right-handed batter, who returned to the Sixers following last season's debacle, scored 36 off 27 deliveries in his return while opening the batting.

He slotted in at the top of the batting order once again with Josh Phillippe as the Adelaide Strikers won the toss and decided to bowl first. He was joined by Kurtis Patterson after Matt Short struck in the very first over of the contest.

The ace batter received a huge reprieve straightaway after the ball ricocheted off the stumps, but the bails held true to their groove. Smith hit his first boundary in the form of a six, the very next ball, and he did not turn back. He was the aggressor during the second-wicket partnership and did the bulk of the scoring.

He brought up his fifty off 30 balls and sped through after the 10-over mark. He consistently scored boundaries and brought up his second T20 hundred with a six as well, reaching the landmark figure off 56 deliveries. He also became the first Sixers player to reach the three-figure mark. Prior to this, the highest score notched by a player from the franchise was 99 by Josh Phillippe.

Fans were in awe of Smith, who flawlessly transitioned from Australia's red-ball season to the frenzied pace of the BBL.

Here are some of the reactions on Twitter:

Steve Smith was run out for 101; Sixers score 203-5 off 20 overs

Steve Smith's innings came to an unfortunate end after he was run out in the 16th over, with Moises Henriques at the other end. A full-fledged dive was not enough as the former Aussie skipper fell short and had to depart for the pavilion.

This marked his second ton in the shortest format. His maiden scaling of the three-figure mark came for the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant against the Rising Pune Supergiant in the 2016 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

It is also to be noted that Smith warmed the bench for Australia over the course of the T20 World Cup 2022. He could only amass one appearance, which came in the form of the team's final Super 12 contest against Afghanistan before they were eliminated before making it to the knockout stages on home soil.

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