Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players
IPL 2020: Gautam Gambhir explains why ‘Steve Smith is the main issue with Rajasthan Royals’
IPL 2020, MI vs RR: Smith’s inconsistent run with the bat, and RR not being able to win matches, has exposed chinks in Smith’s performance. Former India batsman Gautam Gambhir believes that Steve Smith is the main issue that is not working out for Rajasthan Royals this season
Former Australia captain Steve Smith is regarded as one of the best batsmen in the world across formats, but his performance in the ongoing season of Indian Premier League 2020 has left a lot to be desired. Smith got off to a fine start in the tournament scoring back-to-back fifties for the team.
But his inconsistent run with the bat, and RR not being able to win matches, has exposed chinks in Smith’s performance.
Former India batsman Gautam Gambhir believes that Steve Smith is the main issue that is not working out for Rajasthan Royals this season. According to Gambhir, if RR would drop Smith, it would allow them to pick an overseas pacer like Oshane Thomas, which would help Jofra Archer in the bowling attack.
“I think Steve Smith is the main issue for Rajasthan Royals, let’s be honest. I have been saying it from Day 1,” Gambhir said on ESPNCricinfo.
“Steve Smith drops himself and RR can pick themselves Oshane Thomas or any other overseas seamer in his place alongside Jofra Archer. His performance will go up.
“Whoever is the captain can use Archer in a better way. I remember the game against Delhi Capitals - they were 10/2. And they had only used 2 overs from Jofra Archer,” he added.
“If they had one more overseas pacer, they could have bowled 3 overs from Archer in the first six - and try and actually seal the game then and there. Just because you know there is not enough depth and quality apart from Jofra Archer, so you have to only use 2 overs from Archer,” Gambhir added.
Smith again failed to fire on Sunday as he scored just 11 runs. But RR managed to beat Mumbai Indians by 8 wickets due to a hundred from Ben Stokes and a fifty from Sanju Samson.
