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DC head coach Ricky Ponting believes that Australian batsman Steve Smith will do well for his new franchise in the upcoming IPL season. Ricky Ponting feels that Steve Smith will be eager to prove himself as he was released by RR ahead of the player auction earlier this year. Delhi Capitals bought Steve Smith for Rs 2.2 crore as only Royal Challengers Bangalore showed interest in obtaining the services of the former Australian captain.
It took just one bid for Delhi Capitals to seal the deal, and Ricky Ponting still cannot believe that they managed to get a player like Steve Smith so cheap. Royal Challengers Bangalore had made the opening bid at Steve Smith's base price of Rs 2 crore. Delhi Capitals raised it to Rs 2.2 crore and got one of the destructive batsmen in the shortest format of the game.
Steve Smith will bat in the top three if he is in playing XI: Ricky Ponting
Former Australian batsman Ricky Ponting has made it clear that Australian star Steve Smith will bat in the top three for the team if given an opportunity. Steve Smith captained the Royals last year when they finished rock bottom in the points table. The Jaipur-based franchise has now appointed Sanju Samson as their new captain for the upcoming season. Ricky Ponting believes that Steve Smith will be eager to perform well in the forthcoming IPL.
Smith is going to find it challenging to break into the playing XI given the success of overseas players Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, and Marcus Stoinis last year. The Australian batsman could end up competing with Shimron Hetmyer, Sam Billings, Tom Curran, and Chris Woakes for the final overseas position. In the absence of regular captain and star batsman Shreyas Iyer, DC might have to shuffle their batting line-up. This leaves the team management with plenty of options from the top-order to middle-order.
With the T20 World Cup approaching, Steve Smith will be keen to show what he is capable of in the game's shortest format. A grand outing this season might see Smith's stock rise for the 2022 IPL mega auction. Rishabh Pant will lead Delhi Capitals in the forthcoming IPL season. The finalists from last year will play against Chennai Super Kings in their opening match in Mumbai on April 10.