Steve Smith is no longer part of Rajasthan Royals as the franchise released the star batsman ahead of IPL 2021 auction. Smith was the backbone of RR’s batting line-up and also captained the franchise for many seasons. However, the star Aussie batsman had a disappointing IPL season in UAE and under his captaincy, RR failed to make the IPL playoffs.
The Rajasthan Royals has now decided not to retain Smith and brought an end to a long and successful association. The franchise thanked Smith for his service and also pointed out that he will always remain a Royal. Now, what next for Steve Smith in the IPL will franchise spend a substantial amount for him in the auction or he will remain unsold. Only time will tell that but in this feature, we look ahead at the 3 franchises who might target Smith in the IPL mini-auction in February.
3 Teams Who Can Target Steve Smith Ahead Of IPL 2021
1. Chennai Super Kings
The team that look the front runners to buy Steve Smith in the IPL auction is Chennai Super Kings. Smith is a kind of batsman that MS Dhoni would love to have in his franchise for the next IPL season. Smith is a consistent batsman that scores freely against both pace and spin in the middle overs.
CSK currently lack that kind of batsman, Smith will be an interesting addition in their setup. MS Dhoni and Smith played together in the 2016 and 2017 IPL season for RPS. The CSK management will be surely looking at Smith in the upcoming auction. Smith for CSK can bat at 4 and score consistently at a strike rate of 130-140 which the franchise lacked in UAE. On top of that, he’s a brilliant player of spin and will enjoy batting at CSK’s home ground at Chepauk.
Also Read: Chennai Super Kings Announce Retentions for IPL 2021
2. Royal Challengers Bangalore
Imagine watching Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Ab de Villiers bat for the same franchise in IPL. Arguably the 3 greatest batsmen of their generation will be a nightmare to bowl at for every bowler. RCB in the last season looked a top-heavy side with a very fragile middle order. If Smith somehow becomes part of the franchise then he will certainly be an asset for RCB.
The ideal position for Smith in RCB will be 4 and his role will be to attack the spinners from ball one. As mentioned earlier Smith is a brilliant player of spin and more often than not will be successful against them. Also, Smith’s international record suggests that he loves batting at the Chinnaswamy stadium which is the home ground of RCB. If other teams don’t go for Smith then RCB can certainly look to acquire him at a reasonable price for the next season.
Also Read: Rajasthan Royals Announce New Captain After Parting Ways With Steve Smith
3. Kings XI Punjab
Kings XI Punjab has enough batting resources in their franchise but the addition of Steve Smith will release some captaincy pressure from KL Rahul. Smith will add value to the franchise as a former IPL and Australia captain which will help KL Rahul throughout the season. Also, if Smith is acquired by KXIP then he will probably bat as an anchor for the team at 3 which will mean that KL Rahul as a batsman can then bat freely in the powerplay.
With Maxwell no longer part of the franchise, the combination of consistent Smith at 3 and the explosive Nicholas Pooran at 4 can do wonders for KXIP in the coming season. Smith will add experience in the KXIP team which the franchise lacked at crucial stages in the last season. Don’t be surprised if KXIP goes all out for Smith in the auction and spend a hefty amount for him as they already have a purse of Rs. 53 crores.
Also Read: Kings XI Punjab Announce Retentions for IPL 2021