Rajasthan Royals appoint Steve Smith their captain
What's the story
Rajasthan Royals have appointed Australian skipper Steven Smith their captain for the upcoming IPL season. The announcement was made just days after Australian spin legend Shane Warne joined them as mentor of the franchise. The Royals had retained Steven Smith for Rs. 12 crore. Interestingly, for the first time in IPL's history, the announcement was made live on television.
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Rajasthan Royals will be led by Steven Smith
“Smudge has been with the Royals in the past. He is a very passionate and influential player and we are excited to have him with us again."
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) February 24, 2018
Co-owner, Manoj Badale talks about @SteveSmith as the #RoyalCaptain #IPL2018!https://t.co/CG5aQhK35S#PhirHallaBol #Cricket #HallaBol pic.twitter.com/f5uuRsO9JJ
Captain fantastic
Smith led Rising Pune Supergiant to 2017 final
Smith, who is one of the fab fours of international cricket, replaced MS Dhoni as the captain of the Rising Pune Supergiant in the last edition of the cash-rich tournament. Under Smith, the franchise made it to the final but lost out on the trophy to Rohit Sharma's Mumbai Indians. Smith was the top scorer for his franchise with 472 runs.
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Smudge delighted to be back with the Royals
"It is great to be back at Royals. Thanks for giving me the honour and privilege of leading the Royals. I am looking forward to have a successful campaign. Looking forward to working with Warne," Smith said on his appointment.
Always a next time
Rahane misses out on opportunity
Smith's appointment as captain of the Rajasthan Royals means Ajinkya Rahane missed out on the opportunity. Smith had filled in as stand-in captain for the Royals but was never appointed full-time skipper. His CV is even more impressive now considering he took Pune, a team that finished last in 2016 to the final of the 2017 edition, where they lost by a single run.
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Warne full of praise of his new skipper
"Watched him captain the national side. I think he's the best batsman in Test cricket. Really looking forward to working closely with Smith and hearing his thoughts. Looking forward to helping him" Shane Warne said about his new skipper.