In a bid to introduce a “fresh approach” to their stuttering IPL 2019 campaign, Rajasthan Royals have decided to remove Ajinkya Rahane as the captain and replace him with Steven Smith for the remainder of the current season. Royals have had a sequence of poor results in recent times, losing three of their last four games and six of eight overall so far.
ESPNcricinfo understands the Royals team management and owners decided to replace Rahane with Smith, who had been shortlisted as the leader after the 2018 IPL auction, following a sequence of poor results in the ongoing competition.
“Ajinkya Rahane did a fantastic job in leading the team to the playoffs last year, however, the franchisee now thinks a fresh approach is needed to bring their 2019 campaign back on track,” a Royals statement said. “Steve has always been part of the leadership team within RR and Rahane will continue to be a key voice in the side, therefore the Royals see this as a small restructuring process to secure the results required to move up the table.”
Smith was expected to lead Royals last season, but they were forced to make a change when Smith stepped down as the Royals captain, following the ball-tampering ban imposed on him by Cricket Australia. Rahane was named captain as a result. The ban, which didn’t prevent Smith from playing T20 leagues around the world, ended on March 29 this year and he has featured so far in seven of the eight matches Royals have played so far.
More to follow…