IPL 2016: 5 surprise performers so far in this season

Steven Smith

Smith tops the run-charts for the Pune franchise this season

There’s no doubt that Steven Smith is one of the top batsmen in the game today, especially on the back of an amazing run in both Tests and ODIs in the past couple of years. He has had a crucial role to play for Australia, more so after the departure of Michael Clarke post the World Cup last year.

However, the highest ranked Test player in the world has been an uninspiring T20 player.

With his leg-spin disappearing into oblivion, and after a string of disappointing batting performances in the shortest format, Smith’s position in the Australian T20 squad was being questioned. Even in the IPL, with a team consisting of stroke players like Dhoni, Pietersen, and Du Plessis, Smith was expected to just anchor the innings in the middle overs.

Untimely injuries to Du Plessis and Pietersen gave Smith a platform to step up and become one of the strongholds of the Pune lineup at the top. With an average of 45 and a strike rate of over 153, Smith has managed to put runs on the board for the Pune team, time after time.

An unfortunate wrist injury has brought a premature end to his IPL stint this year and has pushed the new franchise deeper into shambles.