Rajasthan Royals skipper Steve Smith is hoping to sign off from the 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL) with a win against Royal Challengers Bangalore when the two sides meet on Tuesday.
It will be the final IPL game of the campaign for Smith who will then join up with the Australia ODI squad for its 2019 World Cup preparations. Smith and his men are currently seventh on the IPL table with 10 points and need to win both their remaining clashes – against RCB and Delhi Capitals – to have any chance of making the play-offs.
“It is important for us to win the last two games to give us any chance to qualify for playoffs. I hope the boys would get over the line tomorrow and defeat Delhi Capitals thereafter,” Smith said on the eve of the clash.
The Rajasthan skipper was full of praise for leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal who has been a revelation for the franchise this season. The Karnataka-born spinner has picked up 15 wickets from his 12 outings so far and is in fifth spot in the IPL 2019 wicket-taking charts.
“He has been terrific for us. Every time we have given him the ball, he has done the job for us. He has taken big wickets. He has varied skill sets. He bowls googlies, sliders and mixes things up,” said Smith.
Shreyas Gopal Wickets In 2019 IPL
— CricBeat (@Cric_beat) April 27, 2019
Bairstow
V Shankar
M Pandey
V Kohli
Abd
Hetmeyer
Narine
Lynn
Rohit
De Kock
Dhawan
P Shaw
Rana
Kane*
M Pandey*
All are Top order Batsman!#RRvsSRH
“Also, his batting is under-rated. He has come in and played some very handy cameos at the end. He has also taken good catches. His package of cricket has been huge for us,” he added.
Smith returned to the IPL after a one-year absence following his involvement in the infamous ball-tampering saga which occurred in Cape Town and has managed to register three half-centuries in 11 innings on his comeback.
As he now prepares to return to the Australia squad after more than a year, Smith believes his IPL stint will hold him in good stead to prepare for the rigours of 50-over cricket.
“Personally for me, playing IPL is to spend some time in the middle to take on quality opposition and best players,” he stated.
“I think T20 cricket almost prepares you well for 50 overs cricket. It is an extended version of T20 cricket, the way it has been played in the last two years,” he added.
