Australian batsman Steve Smith has reportedly been released by the Rajasthan Royals franchise ahead of the IPL 2021 auction. Notably, Steve Smith was in a lot of controversies after the pitch scuffing incident took place in the Sydney Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, concluded on Tuesday.
After the incident, Steve Smith had faced a lot of flak and there were reports in the media that Steve Smith might actually be removed from the side. The reason, however, that has surfaced, is the fact that Smith’s own performance with the bat has been poor for the franchise in the last season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020).
Steve Smith Reportedly Released By Rajasthan Royals Ahead Of IPL 2021 Auction
On Wednesday, ESPNCricinfo wrote, “Rajasthan Royals, who had finished last on the points table in IPL 2020, have let go, Steven Smith. So, they will have a new captain for the upcoming season.”
“Will they consider handing over the captaincy to Sanju Samson? He is one of their high-profile Indian players, who recently toured Australia and led his state side Kerala in the 20-over Syed Mushtaq Ali domestic tournament,” the statement further read.
Steve Smith Has Had A Decent Run In The Indian Premier League So Far
The Australian great Smith has had a decent IPL career so far. In the 95 games he has played in the tournament, Smith has gone on to score 2333 runs at an average above 35. In the tournament, Smith has scored one century and 11 half-centuries so far, with 101 being his highest score.
The Australian batsman has played for four different IPL franchises so far. He started off his IPL career with the now-defunct Pune Warriors India. Then he moved to the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) where he didn’t play a single match. He also led the Pune Warriors India in MS Dhoni’s presence. He was bought by the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2018 auctions.
