Ponting also revealed that 31-year-old is hungry to do well after being released by the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2021 auction.
Steve Smith led the Royals last season when they finished rock bottom in the points table. The Royals have now appointed Sanju Samson as their new captain. Ricky Ponting believes Smith will be eager to do well in the forthcoming IPL.
Steve Smith might find it hard to break into the playing XI given the success of overseas stars Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada and Marcus Stoinis last year.
The batsman could end up battling with Shimron Hetmyer, Sam Billings, Tom Curran and Chris Woakes for the final overseas slot.
Moreover, the Capitals also have plenty of options in the top three. Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane and Stoinis have been proven performers at the top of the order over the years.
Ricky Ponting is aware of such competition for places, but is still happy to have Steve Smith for the experience he brings to the table.
“I’m not really sure how we got Steve Smith so cheap”- Ricky Ponting
Delhi Capitals secured the services of Steve Smith for INR 2.2 crore at the 2021 auction. RCB made the initial bid, but they pulled out.
Later a behind the scenes video released by RCB revealed that the Bangalore franchise made the bid for Smith only to drive his price up.
Ricky Ponting, meanwhile, couldn’t fathom how his franchise got an established star like Steve Smith for almost his base price of INR 2 crore.
The DC coach divulged that Smith wasn’t talked about much going into the auction as a possible option.
Elaborating further, Ponting said that he was on the phone during the auction.
With the T20 World Cup looming around the corner, Steve Smith will be keen to show what he is capable of in the game’s shortest format.
An impressive outing this season could see Smith’s stock rise for the 2022 IPL ahead of the next mega auction.
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