IPL 2021: "I think captaincy will suit him really well" - Steve Smith on Rishabh Pant
Delhi Capitals' (DC) new recruit Steve Smith has shared his thoughts about Rishabh Pant after the latter became the franchise's new captain for IPL 2021. Following Shreyas Iyer' injury during the ODI series between India and England last month, DC named the wicket-keeper batsman their captain for the season.
Along with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane, Steve Smith was one of the names in contention for this role. But Rishabh Pant, the team's vice-captain last year, was chosen even though he doesn't have any experience of leading an IPL team.
Nevertheless, Steve Smith claimed that Rishabh Pant would excel as a captain and that he was excited to work under him. Talking in this regard, he said:
"I'm excited to see Rishabh (Pant) as captain. I think he is an incredible player, as we have seen over the last few months. He has taken his game to a new level, and I think captaincy will suit him really well. So, excited to work underneath him, and hopefully, we can have a successful season."
Steve Smith excited to play for the Delhi Capitals
Steve Smith was one of the bargains of the IPL 2021 auction held in February this year. With just their first bid, the Delhi Capitals managed to snap him up for just Rs 2.2 crore.
For the updated IPL 2021 player rankings here.
Steve Smith has now expressed his excitement about representing the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2021, saying in this regard:
"Yea, I'm excited to get started with Delhi in a couple of days time, once I get out of quarantine. I look forward to working with Ricky (Ponting), Rishabh, and the rest of the guys. I think we have got a really good squad. So, I can't wait to get started."
When asked about any young talent in particular he was interested in following, Steve Smith named Prithvi Shaw.
"I'm excited to see how Prithvi Shaw goes about his business. You know, I've heard such big raps from Ricky about his ability and how talented he is. I look forward to seeing him how he plays this tournament and how he goes," he noted.
In the IPL last year, Steve Smith scored 311 runs in 14 games.
There is a lot of competition among the overseas players at Delhi Capitals this year, but if the former Australian captain finds a place in the playing XI, he will fancy his chances of making a big impact.