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Steve Smith replace Dhoni as Rising Pune Supergiants skipper: IPL
Indian Premier League 2017 players' auction, MS Dhoni has been replaced as the captain of Rising Pune Supergiants by Australian skipper Steve Smith.
Pune: Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) has announced that Australian cricket captain Steve Smith will take over as skipper of the team from Mahaendra Singh Dhoni for the 2017 and 10th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
RPS won only five of their 14 matches in the IPL 9 under Dhoni, finishing seventh. It may be recalled that the Suresh Raina-led Gujarat Lions topped the table last year.
Rising Pune Supergaints owner Sanjiv Goenka said, "Yes we have opted for Steve Smith as captain of RPS for the forthcoming IPL season. I have been thinking about this decision since the end of the last season and discussing it with my management team. And our thought is to have a younger captain at the helm of the team this year. We have a very good mix of youth and experience in the team and feel we need a young mind and a young captain with different ideas to spearhead Rising Pune Supergiants."
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RPS is aiming to plug gaps at the auction by picking up a fast bowler and an allrounder and Smith has already been sounded out for inputs.
Sources said that Dhoni has been informed of the decision by the franchise.
Dhoni has reportedly said that he will give his full co-operation to Smith in the coming season of the IPL.
Dhoni is one of the three captains to have won the cash-rich T20 league twice. He led Chennai Super Kings for nine editions starting from the league's inaugural season in 2008.
Under him, CSK won the IPL in 2010 and 2011 while the Champions League in 2010 and 2014. (With Agency inputs)