The premier Australian batter, Steve Smith, who is not taking part in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 as a player, has confirmed that he would register for the player auction ahead of the 17th edition of the tournament. Smith revealed the information while answering a query from a fan during a Q&A segment on his official Instagram handle.
Steve Smith, who led the Australian team in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins during his side’s tour of India earlier this year, was one of the big names to opt out of the 16th edition of the IPL. There were rumors of him replacing Gujarat Titans’ Kane Williamson, who sustained a knee injury in the IPL 2023 curtain raiser.
ALSO READ: Ajinkya Rahane To Be Considered For India’s WTC Final Squad?
However, since the Aussie batting bulwark hadn’t put his name for the IPL 2023 auction, he wasn’t eligible to join the competition as a replacement. When asked about his omission from IPL 2023, the Aussie batter revealed giving preference to national duties, with the WTC final scheduled to take place after the IPL in June.
The 33-year-old is currently part of Star Sports’ expert panel for IPL 2023. His last appearance as a player in the cash-rich league came for Delhi Capitals in 2021 as he went unsold at the auction the following year.
ALSO READ: Netizens Not Liking Shreyas Iyer Asking Rinku Singh To Learn English In A Old Video
Smith, who registered back-to-back centuries while playing for Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League (BBL) earlier this year, revealed that he will be putting his name forward for the IPL 2024 auction. Replying to a query during the Q&A session, Steve SMith said, “I did not put my name in the auction as this is a very big year for Australian cricket. I’ll put my name in next year, and if someone picks me up then, It’ll be great.”
— Mrityunjay Soni (@MrityunjayCE) April 10, 2023
