IPL 2018: 3 players who can replace Steve Smith if he doesn't play the tournament

#2 Martin Guptill, New Zealand

An imperious T20 batsman-Martin Guptill

One of the few batsmen to have scored two hundreds in T20I cricket, Martin Guptill, on his day, can take the bowlers to the cleaners.

Guptill's biggest strength is his fearless stroke-play against both fast and slow bowlers, making him a difficult customer to counter. He went unsold in this year's IPL auctions but this might just be the opening the Kiwi opener wanted.

Guptill, with his breathtaking blitz at the top coupled with his top-notch fielding, will be an asset for Rajasthan Royals in the absence of Smith. Though Guptill hasn't displayed his talent in the previous seasons of the IPL, this might just be the opportunity that launches Guptill's IPL career.

T20I Career Stats: Matches: 75; Runs: 2271; Avg: 34.41; 50s/100s: 14/2; S/R: 132.88