3 teams where Steve Smith would have been a good fit for IPL 2025 ft. Punjab Kings

Former Australia captain Steve Smith was among the big names who went unsold during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction. His last appearance in the cash-rich league came in 2021 when he played for the Delhi Capitals.

Steve Smith, after a decent Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 series with the bat, returned to the Big Bash League (BBL) for the 2024-25 edition. Playing for the Sydney Sixers, he smashed his third BBL hundred on Saturday (January 11, 2025), against the Perth Scorchers.

Smith remained unbeaten on 121 off just 64 deliveries as the Sixers posted a mammoth 220/3 on the board batting first. Opening the batting, he struck 10 fours and 7 sixes with an impressive strike-rate of 189.06. He reached his hundred off just 58 deliveries.

Talking about his IPL career, Smith has played 103 matches and scored 2485 runs at an average of 34.51 and a strike-rate of 128.09 with a top score of 101. Going by his stellar unbeaten knock in the ongoing BBL season, Smith, who went unsold at the IPL 2025 auction, could have proven to be a valuable pick for some of the teams.

That said, let us take a look at the three IPL teams where he would have been a good fit for the 2025 season.

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3 teams where Steve Smith would have been a good fit for IPL 2025

#3 Punjab Kings

Steve Smith could have proven to be a valuable pick for the Punjab Kings. With the likes of Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell in the team, Smith would have added to a strong and experienced Australian core.

He is an experienced batter with a proven ability to score in the format. Alongside big hitters in the team, a batter like Smith would have provided stability and balance. While Shreyas Iyer is expected to lead the side, the Australian could have been another potential captaincy choice should the need arise.

Smith's connection with Punjab Kings' head coach Ricky Ponting could have also been instrumental to the franchise in the upcoming season.

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#2 Lucknow Super Giants

As the Lucknow Super Giants parted ways with KL Rahul, Steve Smith could have been a solid replacement in their top order. Smith could have been a vital opening choice for them as well.

In the absence of Rahul, Smith would have been an experienced and reliable candidate to lead the side and guide the team which has several youngsters in the squad.

The Super Giants also have hard hitters in the likes of Rishabh Pant, David Miller, and Nicholas Pooran. In such a scenario, Smith's inclusion would give them some stability in the batting unit.

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#1 Sunrisers Hyderabad

While Sunrisers Hyderabad may not seem an obvious choice for someone like Steve Smith, his inclusion would have benefitted the side. Hyderabad displayed attacking intent with their batting in the last season.

However, they fell apart when it did not work, as was seen in the final against Kolkata Knight Riders. Here is where Smith would have brought balance to their batting. He would have been an ideal fit as the Hyderabad franchise also has many left-handers in the squad.

Talking about the leadership group, with Pat Cummins as captain and Daniel Vettori as coach already present, Smith coming in would have created a perfectly synced trio.