Australian cricket superstar Steve Smith has responded to the reports of him coming in as a potential replacement of Kane Williamson for Gujarat Titans (GT) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).
Notably, the speculations of Smith swapping Williamson emerged after the New Zealand cricketer got injured while playing in the season’s opening match between Titans and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 31.
Williamson sustained a knee injury while trying to catch a ball hit by Ruturaj Gaikwad towards the deep-square leg boundary. He landed awkwardly on his right foot, causing the injury. The cricketer immediately received medical attention on the field but was unable to continue playing and had to leave the game. The Titans later confirmed through an official statement that Williamson has been ruled out of the entire tournament due to his injury.
Meanwhile, Smith has made it clear that he did not offer himself to replace Williamson. Smith last played in the cash-rich league in 2021 for the Delhi Capitals (DC). Smith also shared a thought of sharing change rooms with legendary MS Dhoni and other players in the IPL.
“I don’t know if I’ll qualify, I didn’t even put myself in the auction. So I don’t think there’s even a possibility. So, maybe next year, we will see where we go,” said Smith in a chat show on Star Sports.
“I think just coming up against the best players around the world, the learning experiences from each of those, sharing dressing rooms with guys like MS Dhoni, Jos Buttler, guys like that, It’s been incredible, and the IPL has just been unbelievable since its start 15 years ago, and it just continues to grow and grow,” added Smith.
The Titans began their campaign in IPL 2023 with a 5-wicket victory over MS Dhoni-led Chennai at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The Hardik Pandya-led side will next take on the Capitals in an away game on Tuesday, April 4.
