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Quite a few eyebrows were raised when the Rajasthan Royals (RR) franchise made a bold decision of releasing their captain Steve Smith ahead of the IPL 2021 season.
The 31-year-old had been a stalwart for RR over the years and was a part of some magnificent wins for the franchise. After being handed over the franchise's captaincy during the IPL 2015 season, Steve Smith led his team to the playoffs that year.
RR made a comeback to the IPL after being banned for two seasons because of their involvement in the spot-fixing scandal. They showed their faith in Steve Smith and retained him as their captain ahead of the IPL 2018 season.
However, Steve Smith was banned by Cricket Australia for 12 months for his role in the Sandpapergate scandal against South Africa. Subsequently, RR decided not to play the 31-year-old in IPL 2018 and appointed Ajinkya Rahane as their captain.
Nevertheless, Smith was back in the RR fold in the next edition of the competition, but the team wasn't faring well under Rahane. After losing six of their first eight games, RR decided to reinstate the Australian as their skipper.
Steve Smith, however, couldn't lead RR to the IPL 2020 playoffs, scoring only 311 runs in 14 games at a modest average of 25.91. Moreover, with the likes of other overseas players like Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer producing impressive campaigns, Steve Smith struggled to retain his place in the side.
RR have let go of the Australian and have appointed Sanju Samson as their new captain.
Three teams who might benefit from having Steve Smith in their IPL 2021 squad
Despite being released by RR, Steve Smith remains a quality player and is unlikely to have any dearth of suitors ahead of the IPL 2021 campaign.
On that note, let us have a look at three IPL franchises that could benefit by having Steve Smith in their roster.
#1 Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
For the first time in their history, CSK failed to qualify for the IPL playoffs last season. As a result, the team had to cope with a lot of scrutiny and criticism, especially for their misfiring batting.
With a revamp of their squad on the cards, CSK would like to enrich their batting by bringing in Steve Smith. The right-hander is a good player of spin and may not take time to settle in at the Chepauk.
With skipper MS Dhoni heading towards the twilight of his career, Steve Smith could also become the captain of CSK in the future.
Moreover, with Dhoni having played with Steve Smith for two years in the IPL (with the Rising Pune Supergiants), the Australian could get acquainted with the unique challenges of captaining the three-time IPL champions.
With CSK having one overseas slot and INR 22.9 crore in their kitty, it remains to be seen if they would go for Steve Smith in the upcoming IPL auctions.
#2 Kings XI Punjab (KXIP)
KXIP had a fresh start last season with a new coach (Anil Kumble) and captain (KL Rahul).
However, the franchise endured an up-and-down campaign. After winning just one of their first seven games, KXIP won their next five but failed to qualify for the playoffs.
They have since let go of some of their big-name players like Glenn Maxwell, which has left a void in their middle order that Steve Smith could fill.
With the explosive combination of KL Rahul and Chris Gayle at the top and Nicholas Pooran's hard-hitting ability in the middle, Smith could be the one to play the sheet anchor of the CSK innings.
With five overseas slots available and INR 53.2 crores in their kitty, KXIP could be one of the frontrunners to snap up Steve Smith in the upcoming IPL auctions.
#3 Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
After a few underwhelming campaigns in the competition, RCB made the IPL playoffs last year. However, their overreliance on captain Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers proved to be their undoing.
Although youngsters like Devdutt Padikkal have added meat to the RCB batting, the franchise needs an experienced head like Steve Smith in the middle.
The 31-year-old could also bat at number three, which would give captain Virat Kohli the freedom to open the batting and allow De Villiers to come in at number four.
Steve Smith and Virat Kohli are fierce competitors on the field but share a healthy camaraderie and relationship off the field, something that could hugely benefit RCB.
With the second-highest purse (INR 35.9 crore) at their disposal and four overseas slots available, it would be a coup of sorts if RCB manage to land Steve Smith in their roster.
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