Rajasthan Royals names Steve Smith as skipper for rest of IPL
Jaipur, Apr 20 (IBNS): In a major decision announced in the mid of the tournament, Rajasthan Royals will be led by the Australian batsman Steven Smith for the upcoming matches of the IPL.
Ajinkya Rahane did a fantastic job in leading the team to the playoffs last year, however, the franchisee now thinks a fresh approach is needed to bring their 2019 campaign back on track, the franchisee said in a statement.
Steve has always been part of the leadership team within RR and Rahane will continue to be a key voice in the side, therefore the Royals see this as a small restructuring process to secure the results required to move up the table.
Zubin Bharucha, Head of Cricket for Rajasthan Royals, said, "Ajinkya is and will always be a true Royal. He led the team to the play offs in 2018 in a very challenging scenario and that will go down as one of the great comebacks of the IPL. He remains a key part of our side and leadership team and will extend support wherever required to Steve.”
“Steve is one of the most innovative and successful captains in the world, in all formats of the game. We are confident he can lead the Royals to success,” added Bharucha.
Steve Smith did not feature in the IPL last season after his name emerged in the ball tampering scam.
Cricket Australia had also banned him from playing international cricket for 12 months.
Smith was recently named in the Australian World Cup squad.
Image: RR Twitter page
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