Steve Smith is reportedly set to be released by Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2021 player auction in February this year.
Australia’s batting wall Steve Smith could find himself out of Rajasthan Royals ahead of IPL 2021 auction. It has emerged that Steve Smith landed himself into a controversy for pitch scuffing during day five of the third Test against India in Sydney. Hence, for the same, the Royals could leave out the 31-year old out of their squad.
A video went viral during the drinks break of Steve Smith erasing the guard marked by Rishabh Pant. Steve Smith found himself in the center of another controversy on Sunday after he was caught on the camera, scuffing the pitch during Day 5 of the third Test between India and Australia in Sydney. Smith was spotted trying to erase the batting guard of Indian batsman Rishabh Pant by rubbing his shoes on the pitch during a drinks break. The right-handed batsman has allegedly found himself in yet another controversy.
Smith was slammed by fans and former cricketers on social media. While some termed his act ‘unsportsmanly’, some went on to label him a ‘cheat’ for his controversial actions.
Also Read : India vs Australia; India lodge complaint of racial abuse
Sources revealed that Rajasthan Royals could release their captain ahead of the 2021 season of IPL. The franchises have to submit the list of released and retained players before the 20th of January. Along with Smith, the Rajasthan Royals’ own performances were underwhelming in IPL 2020 as they finished in the bottom of the points table. The skipper managed a little more than 300 runs at an average of 25.
Smith was part of the Rajasthan Royals in the 2014 and 2015 seasons before the team got banned for two years from the IPL. The former Australian captain was the only player retained by the 2008 champions ahead of the 2018 season. However, Ajinkya Rahane was named captain for the 2018 season after Smith was banned for two years for ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.
Smith returned to the Royals side in 2019 and was handed over the captaincy midway through the 2019 season. He captained Rajasthan Royals throughout the 2020 season which was staged in the UAE. However, Smith’s performances for his side was not that impressive in IPL 2020.
Also Read : IPL 2021 Auction; 11 players are expected to be released
Rajasthan Royals, who yet again failed to qualify for playoffs, finished last in the league stage (2020).
Despite owning a number of match-winners like Ben Stokes, Jos Butler and Sanju Samson, the Royals couldn’t sail through.
Smith’s own form was under the scanner as he mustered 311 runs from 14 games at 25.91. His lackluster on-field decisions were also highlighted by the critics.
Smith was backed by Rajasthan in 2019 as he took over the reigns from Ajinkya Rahane midway through the tournament. However, they still missed the playoffs berth.
Ahead of the 2018 auction, Smith was the only player to be retained by them (Rs. 12.5 crore).
He was appointed the captain for RR’s comeback season, however, he stepped down in the wake of a ball-tampering scandal.
Rajasthan Royals made history in 2008 as they won the inaugural IPL edition under legend Shane Warne. Ever since, they haven’t won the IPL title, and qualified for the playoffs only thrice (2013, 2015 and 2018).
The Royals would want to appoint a new leader as soon as they release Smith. Indian wicket-keeper Sanju Samson appears to be the front-runner for the captaincy role. He recently led Kerala to their first victory at the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament. He was also one of the impact players in the IPL 2020, following which, he toured Down Under.
Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler would also be the contenders for the role as they have more experience in terms of captaincy. They have substantial international experience for the role, which will certainly benefit the Royals. However, the availability of English players always remains in doubt as their international assignments usually clash with the IPL.
It will be interesting to see if Samson gets the go-ahead, considering this scenario or it would be one of the English players to lead the Royals in IPL 2021.
Leave a Reply