Smith joins Delhi squad

The 31-year-old, who was released by Rajasthan Royals (RR), was acquired by Delhi for Rs 2.2 crore at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 auction in February. “2 monumental icons in one frame. Welcome to the DC family, @stevesmith49,” the franchise tweeted a picture of the Australian with the Gateway of India in the frame.

The Delhi team has already started its pre-season camp. Smith and compatriot Marcus Stoinis will hardly get time to train before DC’s opening game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) here on April 10 as the duo will have to undergo a week of hard quarantine at the hotel.

The prolific right-hand batsman, who had joined Rajasthan two years back, captained the side in the 2020 edition in the UAE, where it finished last. At Delhi, Smith will reunite with his 2011 World Cup captain Ricky Ponting, who is the head coach of the franchise.