IPL 2019: 5 mentor-protege battles to watch out for

#3 Steve Smith vs Washinton Sundar

Steve Smith & Washington Sundar

It is unclear at the moment on how many games Steve Smith would be playing in IPL 12. The injury he sustained in Bangladesh Premier League and his World Cup commitments may not allow him to play many matches. However, he is a class batsman whose services would be crucial for the Rajasthan Royals even if they come in a few matches.

His Pune Supergiants protege, however, has got certain things to prove against him. Washington Sundar owes a lot to Smith for guiding him when he was a rookie at RPS.

"He (Steve Smith) has shown a lot of belief in me. He threw the ball to me in the first six overs a lot of times. I’m very lucky and thankful to him and the management. Getting an opportunity at such a big stage at this level I really owe a lot to the management and the captain.”

Washington Sundar will be playing under Virat Kohli for RCB in IPL 12. The wicket of a world-class batsman like Steve Smith would be beneficial for his career. Thus, Sundar would give his best against Smith to earn a name for himself.