IPL 2021 Phase 2 – Steve Smith Delhi Capitals: As expected, Steve Smith is all set to miss out the 2nd phase of IPL 2021 in UAE. One of the world’s most prolific batsman will not be available to Delhi Capitals for the 2nd leg of IPL. According to the information available, Smith is currently battling with injury to his elbow will not risk playing IPL again this year. The former captain of Australian team will rather rest and get ready for the Ashes Series against England.
“ I still wasn’t quite 100 per cent (during the IPL), it was still bothering me a bit, and I was playing over there medicated – taking some painkillers and anti-inflammatories every time I batted,” he said. “It got to a point where it wasn’t really improving much, and it probably got a little bit worse while I was over there.”, Smith told Cricket.com.au
IPL 2021 Phase 2 – Steve Smith Delhi Capitals: Smith played six matches for Delhi Capitals before the tournament was suspended due to the pandemic and scored 106 runs @ average of 26. Since returning home he has been diligently working on his rehab. According to Smith, his current ailment began with pain in his left wrist at the start of last summer following a change in his batting grip, then moved into his elbow as the season wore on.
IPL 2021 Phase 2 – Steve Smith Delhi Capitals: InsideSport.co reached out to Delhi Capitals but did not get any official reply from the team about Smith’s unavailability for the remaining season of IPL 2021. It is worth noting that earlier Kolkata Knight Riders Pat Cummins ruled himself out of remaining games of IPL. The other Australian cricketers & Cricket Australia themselves are yet to confirm whether players will be released for IPL or not.
Further, England & Wales Cricket Board has already declared that no players will be released at their end – putting a huge question mark over the availability of top players for IPL 202I Phase 2.
IPL 2021 Phase 2: It’s final, Steve Smith not available for Delhi Capitals for IPL 2021 in UAE
IPL 2021 Phase 2 – Steve Smith Delhi Capitals: Smith currently is so focussed and concerned about regaining full fitness before Ashes that not only IPL 2021, he is even ready to skip the ICC T20 World Cup for the sake of his rehabilitation from the tennis elbow.
Smith has already withdrawn from the current white-ball tour of the Caribbean and Bangladesh.The T20 World Cup is scheduled to run from October 17 to November 14, before Australia take on Afghanistan in a Test match from November 27, with the first Vodafone Ashes Test beginning December 8 and Smith is not ready to risk himself.
“I want to put myself in a position where I can have that kind of impact,” he said. “If that does mean not partaking in the World Cup, then we’ll have to go down that path, but hopefully we don’t have to go there. I’ve made a bit of progress with it the last few weeks, he said. “I started some batting, just 10 minutes at a time, and basically my path now to getting back to playing is building up from there.
“There’s still a bit of time between now and (the T20 World Cup), and I’m tracking okay at the moment – it’s slow, but I’m going okay,” Smith told cricket.com.au. “I’d love to be part of the World Cup, for sure, but from my point of view, Test cricket, that’s my main goal – to be right for the Ashes and try to emulate what I’ve done in the last few Ashes series I’ve been involved in.”
How crucial is Smith for Australia in Ashes? Smith’s record in Ashes is phenomenal. The world’s number two ranked Test batsman has scored a staggering 1,969 runs at 93.76 in 14 matches across the past three series, with eight hundreds.These numbers clearly show just how crucial the 32-year-old’s involvement will be for the hosts when the rivalry resumes at the Gabba in a little over five months’ time.
Vodafone Men’s Ashes v England
Dec 8-12: First Test, The Gabba
Dec 16-20: Second Test, Adelaide Oval
Dec 26-30: Third Test, MCG
Jan 5-9: Fourth Test, SCG
Jan 14-18: Fifth Test, Perth Stadium
IPL 2021 Phase 2: How badly Delhi Capitals will miss Steve Smith?
Unlike his Australian team, Delhi Capitals will not face same kind of pinch with Smith’s unavailability. Smith did not score big in IPL since last 2 seasons. He got his chance in DC’s playing XI only after captain Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of the Phase 1.
But Delhi Capitals currently has other concerns on the availability of rest of the foreign players. Marcus Stoinis (Australia), Chris Woakes (England), Tom Curran (England) all stays doubtful thoughShimron Hetmyer & Sam Billings will be available for the IPL 2021 Phase 2.
