IPL 2022 Auction: 3 reasons why Steve Smith is perfect for CSK
Not long ago, Steve Smith was one of the highest-paid players in the IPL. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) retained him ahead of the IPL Mega Auction 2018. However, Smith's performances declined gradually and ultimately led to his release from the RR squad ahead of IPL 2021.
Steve Smith is an excellent batter and a potential captaincy candidate, but not many franchises were interested in him at the IPL Auction 2021. The Australian star entered with a base price of ₹2 crore and received a contract worth ₹2.2 crore from the Delhi Capitals.
Since the Capitals had quite a few top-order batters in their team, they did not use Steve Smith much. The Aussie played only eight matches, where he scored 152 runs, with his highest score being 39.
Although Smith's performances in the IPL 2021 were not up to the mark, defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) should consider signing him at the IPL 2022 Auction. Here are three reasons why Smith is perfect for CSK.
#1 Steve Smith had his best IPL season under MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni is a captain who is known for bringing the best out of every player. Many cricketers have realized their full potential while playing under Dhoni's captaincy. Steve Smith is one of the names present on the long list.
Smith had his best IPL season in 2016, where he scored 270 runs in seven innings under Dhoni's captaincy for the Rising Pune Supergiant. It was the only IPL tournament where the Aussie had an average of more than 40 and a strike rate of 150+.
If Chennai Super Kings sign him at the IPL 2022 Auction, perhaps Smith could regain his lost touch under MS Dhoni and revive his IPL career.
#2 A replacement for Suresh Raina?
For the first time in IPL history, the Chennai Super Kings have let go of Suresh Raina ahead of an auction. They had retained him prior to the mega auctions in 2011, 2014 and 2018, but Raina is not present in the CSK squad ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction.
The 2011 Cricket World Cup winner has now retired from international cricket and did not look at his best during the previous IPL season. Raina played 12 matches in IPL 2021, aggregating only 160 runs at an average of 17.78.
While CSK should consider re-signing Raina and giving him a proper farewell with MS Dhoni, the team management will also look for his replacement in the top order. Steve Smith could be a great option given his fantastic record in the top order.
#3 Steve Smith has superb numbers in Chennai
#IPL2021 #DCvsSRH | Steve Smith admits it is difficult to bat at Chepauk, says 'fortunate to get over line' republicworld.com/sports-news/cr…
MA Chidambaram Stadium is the homeground of the Chennai Super Kings. The batters generally struggle to score runs at Chepauk because of the nature of the pitch but Steve Smith has decent numbers in IPL matches at the venue.
The Aussie has aggregated 161 runs in six IPL innings in Chennai at an average of 40.45. Fans should note that this is Smith's highest aggregate at a stadium where he has only played for visiting teams in the IPL. Thus CSK and Steve Smith could be a perfect pair.