IPL 2017 T20: Steve Smith approachable, brings intensity on the field: Mayank Agarwal

No captain in the 2017 Indian Premier League (IPL) has been discussed more than Steve Smith primarily because he replaced India’s and IPL’s most successful skipper, MS Dhoni.

Smith scored a match-winning 54-ball 84 for Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) against Mumbai Indians to begin his IPL captaincy stint in a magnificent way.

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Though Dhoni still remains the inspirational figure in the RPS squad, Smith’s easy nature has gone down well with his teammates.

“He is very understanding and approachable as a captain. We go up to him if we have a suggestion and he listens to it. He brings intensity on the field. He has got a lot of experience and that helps us,” said Mayank Agarwal, RPS opener.

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RPS’ great start at home will be a confidence booster for the team as it hits the road with a match against Kings XI Punjab on Saturday.

“It’s good to have a winning start. The team has gained confidence and the momentum will be with us,” he added.

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And for inspiration, RPS players don’t have to look far. “He (Dhoni) is always inspirational. He is very nice to have in the dressing room. We get to learn a lot from him as youngsters,” Agarwal said.

“Against Kings XI Punjab, we will give 100 per cent. We would like to implement our gameplan. The result is not in our hand.”