IPL 2019: 3 players who can replace Steve Smith

Back in 2018, Steve Smith was primed to lead Australia to yet another ICC Test mace with his shrewd captaincy and his insane batting skills. However, fate took an ugly turn when the former Australian skipper decided to take part in the controversial and infamous ball-tampering saga along with his teammates David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. Since then, Smith has been taking part in T20 leagues all around the globe barring the BBl and IPL and now the BPL.

In an unfortunate turn of events, an elbow injury is likely to rule out the former number one batsman for over 2 months which means a delay in his international comeback. Smith wasn’t going to lead the Royals in the 11th season of the T20 tournament in India but this has only put brakes on his road to feature in the yellows. The Rajasthan Royals had a good 2019 auction but the absence of Smith would certainly be a major blow to them.

The absence of Smith means a void left in the number three spot in their batting line-up and they will target to fill it. They are entitled to announce a replacement for the injured 29-year-old and let’s have a look at three probable players who could take the Australian’s place in the squad.

Reeza Hendricks

The right-handed batsman from South Africa could prove to be a smart buy if he does get roped in by the Rajasthan based franchise. Hendricks is currently enjoying a purple patch and his MSL performances bear testimony to that. Reeza amassed as many as 412 runs in 10 games at an impressive strike rate of 142.56 and an average of 58.5, including 2 centuries and 2 fifties to his name.

The two centuries came in back-to-back fixtures and that shows that the 29-year-old is consistent apart from being destructive in the shortest format of the game. Hendricks can open the innings, allowing Rahane to bat in the middle-order or number three, providing stability to the batting order. Hendricks is a force to reckon with at the moment and is one of the ideal replacements for Steve Smith.