IPL 2025 Auction: Three Franchises Set To Target Steve Smith

Australia's Steve Smith, a notable cricketer, last played in the IPL for Delhi Capitals in 2021. Despite his international acclaim, he has struggled to secure a spot in recent IPL seasons.

Smith has been part of six IPL teams: Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Kochi Tuskers Kerala (now-defunct), Pune Warriors (now-defunct), Rajasthan Royals, Rising Pune Supergiant, and Delhi Capitals.

He went unsold in the 2022 auction and opted out of the mini-auction for IPL 2023. In the IPL 2024 auction held in Dubai, he again went unsold despite registering his name.

The five-time champions signed New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra for INR 1.8 crore after his stellar ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 performance. However, Ravindra underperformed, scoring just one fifty. CSK might consider Smith to replace him next season due to Smith's versatility as an opener or middle-order batsman.

PBKS have faced criticism for not winning the trophy since IPL's inception. They might target Smith to replace Jonny Bairstow, who had an inconsistent last season with 298 runs in 11 games at an average of 29.80.

Rajasthan Royals

Smith played for Rajasthan Royals from 2014-2015 and 2019-2020. The franchise might bring him back to replace Shimron Hetmyer, who scored only 113 runs in 12 games at an average of 22.60 last season.

Smith's strike rate in T20s has often been questioned, but he is performing well in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024. He scored 134 runs in five games at an average of 67 and a strike rate around 140, with his best score being an unbeaten 46*.

Given his current form, IPL teams are likely monitoring Smith closely. He has scored a total of 2485 runs in 103 IPL matches with one century and eleven fifties at an average of 34.5.

Smith's technical prowess could be valuable for any team looking to strengthen their batting lineup for IPL 2025.