IPL 2019: 'We will welcome Steve Smith with love,' says Rajasthan Royals captain Ajinkya Rahane

Indian Premier League franchise Rajasthan Royals launched their new pink jersey for the 2019 edition. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane, who was present in the launch event spoke about a lot of things, from his bond with the team to former captain Steve Smith’s return.

When an interviewer from Hindustan Times asked about how Steve Smith will be received, Rahane said, “Mistakes can happen and Rajasthan Royals is a team that believes in backing players. Definitely, we will welcome Steve Smith with love because he is our player and he is one of our own. It is good to have him and I’m sure his inputs and experience will benefit us.”

Steve Smith was banned after the ball-tampering scandal that hit Australian cricket in March last year. Smith and his team were playing Test cricket against South Africa when David Warner, Cameron Bancroft and captain Smith were accused of tampering with ball, to which all of them agreed to.

Steve Smith suffered an elbow injury during his stint at Bangladesh Premier League after which his comeback in IPL 2019 remains doubtful.