Insta
Steve Smith and David Warner of Australia look on during a Test match. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has hinted that batsman Steve Smith might pull out of the Indian Premier League 2021 citing injury after being picked for a relatively small amount at the auction.
Smith, the Australian batting mainstay was picked for Rs 2.2 crore by Delhi Capitals at Thursday's auction after he was released by Rajasthan Royals (RR) for below-par performance in IPL 2020. RR, who retained Smith in 2018 for Rs 12.5 crore, finished at the bottom in the points table in IPL 2020 under Smith's captaincy.
"I know his T20 performances haven't been as good as he would have liked. Last year's IPL wasn't great. I'm very surprised he has gone for the amount of money he has, just under $400,000 - which is still good money," said Clarke on the Big Sports Breakfast Podcast after calling Smith among the top three batsmen in the world.
"But when you look at what he was getting (last season) and his role as captain of Rajasthan, don't be surprised if there's a little hamstring strain the day the plane is meant to fly to India," Clarke added.
Smith made 311 runs at 25.91 in last year's IPL in 14 matches, scoring just three half-centuries.
"You talk about Steve Smith - if he's not the best batsman in the world, he's not far away. Virat Kohli is number one, but Smithy is in the top three," Clarke added.
This news has been published via a Syndicated feed. Only the headline is changed.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest