It is rather amusing in some ways to see how long it took Steve Smith to spend nearly five years trying to be as far away as possible from the ‘circus’ of the IPL, then on the third day of the Ashes test at the Gabba hits a 23 from nine balls as though auditioning for an IPL team. The Australians beat the English two-nil (8 wkts apiece), and although Mitchell Starc would have been the man-of-the-match for his six for 75 off 25 overs plus scoring 77 with the bat, most were tweeting about the short innings of Steve Smith. Are we seeing him shop around again for an IPL team?
DC’s Top-Order Crisis Demands Reinvention
Delhi Capitals’ 2025 season felt like a magic trick gone wrong: four wins upfront, then poof, the top order disappeared. Faf du Plessis couldn’t find the early rhythm, Jake Fraser-McGurk flickered but didn’t ignite, and the rotating cast above No. 4 only made the problem louder. A team with playoff ambitions simply cannot average mediocre power-play runs two seasons in a row.
Enter Steve Smith, the rare top-order presence who offers both tempo control and acceleration. Delhi has ₹21.80 crore and five overseas slots open, plenty of space to chase a stabiliser who can also play the “controlled chaos” role. A Smith-Pant axis at the top? That’s not just experience, it’s architectural repair for a broken blueprint.
KKR’s Lost Overseas Firepower Needs a New Brain
Kolkata Knight Riders didn’t just release players; they tore out the heart of their overseas batting. Andre Russell, Quinton de Kock, Moeen Ali, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and an entire era of match-winners were wiped clean in one swoop. That leaves KKR with the league’s largest purse (₹64.30 crore) but a glaring vacuum: no experienced foreign batter to guide the middle overs.
Smith’s value here goes beyond runs. KKR loves structured, role-based cricket. They thrive on tactical batters who can read phases, absorb pressure, and rotate strike on tricky surfaces. With six overseas slots open and their auction room stacked like a billionaire’s shopping cart, KKR has both the motivation and ammunition to bid aggressively. A Smith–Shreyas Iyer brain trust could restore the cricketing IQ they just let go.
RR’s Leadership Puzzle Seeks a Calm Hand
Rajasthan Royals’ blockbuster trade, Sanju Samson swapped to CSK for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran—created two problems and solved none. Jadeja won’t captain again anytime soon, Parag and Jaiswal are still young, and RR’s history shows a preference for seasoned heads in high-pressure roles.
This is where Steve Smith becomes a uniquely convenient solution. He knows the franchise, he carries a leadership pedigree, and he has shown recently in the Ashes win that he can still impose tempo without looking like a Test anchor caught in T20 traffic. RR might be wary of foreign captains, but with Pat Cummins thriving in SRH, the stigma is fading. Steve Smith as RR captain in 2026? That’s not a gamble, that’s a stabiliser for a franchise in transition.
Smith will never be a slogger, never be a mystery pick, never be the “data-only” buy, but he remains one of the smartest operators modern cricket has produced. And sometimes, that’s exactly what the IPL needs more than raw firepower: a cricketing mind capable of winning phases before winning matches.
Key Takeaway
Smith isn’t just an IPL option; he’s a structural fix for three franchises with three different problems.
FAQs
- What makes Steve Smith attractive for IPL 2026?
His recent Ashes form and proven ability to control tempo make him ideal for teams needing stability.
- Why might RR consider Smith as captain?
They lack experienced leadership after trading Sanju Samson, and Smith has prior IPL captaincy success.
- How can KKR benefit from signing Smith?
They have lost multiple overseas batters and need a seasoned, tactical presence in the top order.
Disclaimer: This blog post reflects the author’s personal insights and analysis. Readers are encouraged to consider the perspectives shared and draw their own conclusions.
Step into the world of cricket with JeetBuzz News—where expert opinions, trending Blogs, and behind-the-scenes insights meet all your favorite topics. Stay informed, stay entertained, and never miss the stories shaping the cricketing world—only on JeetBuzz News!
