'No one will let us get him for 2 cr': Why RCB bid once for Steve Smith and then backed out at IPL 2021 Auction - WATCH

IPL 2021 Auction: But what was interesting during Smith's bidding was the fact that Royal Challengers Bangalore made the first bid for Smith, and after DC raised their hammer, the Virat Kohli-led franchise immediately pulled out.

After an insipid performance in the Indian Premier League 2020 in the UAE, Australia batsman Steve Smith was released by Rajasthan Royals. The former RR captain entered the auction at a base price of ₹2 crore, but even though many expected him to get the big bucks, Smith was bought by ₹2.2 crore by Delhi Capitals.

Steve Smith and RCB coach Mike Hesson. (Screengrab/File)

But what was interesting during Smith's bidding was the fact that Royal Challengers Bangalore made the first bid for Smith, and after DC raised their hammer, the Virat Kohli-led franchise immediately pulled out.

RCB, on their official Twitter handle, have released a video to explain why they decided to do so. The franchise were not interested in buying Smith as they were looking to go after Glenn Maxwell. The reason for this was the fact Smith cannot bowl, but RCB wanted a batsman who can bowl a bit as well.

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“Smith doesn’t bowl. Very clear. Whoever bats there (after Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers) has to be able to bowl. All the stats we’re doing are around batting, but they have to be a bowling option," RCB coach Mike Hesson said in the video.

Hesson, further in the video, told his staff that he wishes other teams to spend their funds on buying Maxwell, and also reduce the number of foreign players' the other franchises can buy. The idea to do so was to ensure that they face lesser competition in pursuit of Maxwell.

“Best thing we can do is make a bid early for Steve Smith, and get out. So if we can get somebody to buy somebody in that first round, it is a big win for us. I feel if we bid for him straight away, no one is going to let us get him for ₹2 crore,” Hesson says in the clip.

“If we’re left with Steve Smith at 2 crore, it’s not the end of the world. When we look at risk-reward, it’s not a bad result," he adds.

Also, in the video, it was shown that Hesson correctly predicted Smith to be sold under ₹4 crore, while his staff was uncertain about that call.