Steve Smith Announces His Entry Into IPL Mega Auction

Steve Smith's recent strong performances in the T20 format have rekindled his hope of making a return to India's cash-rich cricket league, the IPL.

Preparations for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season are in full swing, with players getting ready to enter the auction pool. This season will not only spotlight big names but also focus on players who have consistently gone unsold in past auctions.

Steve Smith, one of Australia's finest batters, confirmed that he will enter this year's IPL auction. The 35-year-old last played in the IPL in 2021 and has since been included in auctions without attracting bids from any teams. Despite this, the veteran remains undeterred.

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Smith's recent strong performances in the T20 format have rekindled his hope of making a return to India's cash-rich cricket league, the IPL. He was the third highest run scorer in the recently concluded Major League Cricket (MLC) tournament and delivered a standout performance in the final, scoring 88 runs off 52 balls.

"I'd love to be part of the IPL once again. I'll be putting my name in the auction," Smith told CODE Sports.

Smith's IPL journey started in 2010 with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The following year, Kochi Tuskers Kerala acquired him. Over the subsequent seasons, he played for Pune Warriors India and Rajasthan Royals (RR).

In 2017, Steve Smith led Rising Pune Supergiant to a high-profile final and later became the captain of Rajasthan Royals before being released by the team. He was a long-time member of the Rajasthan Royals, even serving as the team's captain but was unable to secure a title for them.

Following his release by Rajasthan, Smith was acquired by Delhi Capitals. However, he did not live up to expectations and was subsequently released by Delhi as well. Since then, the veteran batter has repeatedly entered the auction pool but has yet to attract any buyers.

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Overall in his IPL career, Smith has scored 2,485 runs from 103 IPL games, including one century and 11 fifties. His last season in 2021 was challenging, as he could only accumulate 152 runs from 8 games.