IPL 2018: Three players who can replace Steven Smith as Rajasthan Royals captain

Rajasthan Royals are likely to sack Steven Smith as the captain of the team ahead of IPL 2018. The Australian team was involved in a major controversy on the third day of the third Test at Cape Town. Cameron Bancroft, the Australian opening batsman, was seen using sandpaper to tamper with the ball, following which, Smith and David Warner were forced to step down as the captain and the vice-captain of the Australian side respectively.

With serious allegations levelled against Smith, it is hard for Rajasthan Royals to continue with him as the captain of the side. The Jaipur-based franchise will have to find a new captain to replace the Australian. We will look at three contenders who can lead the Royals.

#3 Ben Stokes

Are the Royals willing to take the risk of giving captaincy duties to Stokes?

The English all-rounder was the most expensive player in the auction courtesy his superlative performances last season. Even though Stokes has been a brilliant player for England, his off-field behaviour has always come under the scanner. He missed the Ashes series last year because of the whole Bristol night-club incident and the legal procedures that followed.

There is no doubt about Stokes' prowess as a player and though it might be a decision that may raise a lot of eyebrows, the Royals will be tempted to take the bold decision of giving the captaincy to Stokes.

#2 Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler might not be a bad option for the Royals

The England wicket-keeper batsman has been the vice-captain of the English limited-overs squad for a long time now. He has even led the team in the absence of the regular captain, Eoin Morgan.

Buttler had a decent run with Mumbai Indians in the last couple of seasons and will be vital in the middle overs for the Royals. He played 24 matches for Mumbai Indians, scoring 527 runs at a strike-rate of 145.98.

In this year's auction, he was bought by Rajasthan Royals for a price of INR 4.4 crore. Buttler has always stayed away from controversies, and his calm demeanour will provide much-needed stability to the Royals squad.

#1 Ajinkya Rahane

Rahane is one of the senior most players in the Royals squad

One of the safest choices that Rajasthan Royals have for the captaincy role is Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane has years of IPL experience behind him and has been growing as a leader over the years.

In the absence of Steven Smith, he captained Rising Pune Supergiant in a couple of matches last year. Apart from this, Rahane has captained the Indian team in a couple of series, and the way he handled things in the tense last test of the Test series against Australia at Dharamsala last year was appreciated by one and all.

Keeping in mind all these factors, Rahane is the top contender to lead the Royals this year.