Australia captain Steve Smith will lead the Rajasthan Royals in this year’s Indian Premier League.
“We came to the conclusion that Steve Smith would be the ideal candidate for the job,” said Zubin Bharucha, head of cricket of Rajasthan Royals on Saturday.
“Smith has been incredible as captain of Australia. He is someone who leads the team by example,” he added.
Smith will join Australian spin legend Shane Warne, who was announced as the team’s mentor earlier this year. The Australian skipper, in a statement released by the club, said he was looking forward to leading the team.
“It’s an honour and privilege to be leading (the) Royals and I’m looking forward to working with the King (Shane Warne),” Smith said.
The Royals, along with the Chennai Super Kings, were banned for two IPL seasons over an illegal gambling scandal. They have put together a strong squad ahead of their return for the 2018 season, bagging top names like England allrounder Ben Stokes at the player auction last month.
