Steve Smith has thrown his hat in the ring in IPL 2025 auction and has registered himself for a base price of Rs 2 crore. The former Australian skipper was a part of four franchises previously, namely – Pune Warriors India, Rising Pune Supergiants, Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals. However, he last featured in IPL in the 2021 edition following which he remained unsold. If there is one thing that the teams should beware of in upcoming IPL auction, it is roping in Steve Smith. It must be avoided at all costs.
Why no team should buy Steve Smith at IPL auction
Steve Smith is at the fag end of his career, especially in the shortest format of the game. His T20I record with the bat is poor, having managed just 1094 runs from 67 matches. In T20 leagues across the world, the Australian batter has fared much better in IPL among other tournaments. In 103 IPL matches, he has managed to amass 2485 runs, averaging 34.51.
However, it is pertinent to point out that Steve Smith is out of the scheme of things, especially in T20Is and T20s. First, he missed the bus for the T20 World Cup after being excluded from the squad for the event in June. He then went on to play in Major Cricket League (MCL) where he managed to score 336 runs in 9 matches. His last T20I outing came as early as in February 2024 and he has been out of Australia’s side since then.
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In IPL, Steve Smith was consistent until 2020, managing to score over 200 runs in each edition. However, that was during his prime. In his last IPL season, he managed just 152 runs.
Why should no team buy Steve Smith in IPL auction? There are two main reasons. One, he doesn’t deserve to be paid Rs 2 crore or above. Secondly, he is better off as a commentator for a T20 game rather than being on field. While he is unlikely to be picked up any team in the auction, it will be wise for teams to keep their paddles absolutely down when Steve Smith goes under the hammer.
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