Australia's top-order batsman Steve Smith, who remained unsold during the IPL 2024 player auctions, expressed his preference for Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson over his national team captain Pat Cummins. When asked to choose between all the IPL 2024 captains, Smith ultimately selected Samson. The RR skipper will lead his team against Royal Challengers Bangalore tonight at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, with a potential victory propelling Rajasthan to the top of the points table.

Steve Smith Named Sanju Samson As His Favorite IPL 2024 Captain

Sanju Samson's Rajasthan Royals will aim to maintain their perfect win record tonight, potentially extending their streak to four victories in four matches. Only Shreyas Iyer's Kolkata Knight Riders share this accomplishment so far in the IPL 2024 season. Rajasthan began their campaign with a 20-run win against Lucknow Super Giants at home, followed by victories over Delhi Capitals by 12 runs and Mumbai Indians by 6 wickets at the Wankhede Stadium. Sanju Samson's captaincy has been commendable, marked by strategic bowling changes and a well-balanced team under the guidance of Kumar Sangakkara. When asked to choose between Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant and RCB's South African skipper Faf du Plessis, Steve Smith quickly picked Pant. He emphasized that du Plessis has not made a significant impact, both with the bat and in terms of leadership. Despite both teams winning just one game each so far, Smith favored Pant over du Plessis. Steve Smith faced a series of choices between various IPL captains. He first chose Rishabh Pant over Ruturaj Gaikwad due to Gaikwad's lack of experience as a captain. When given the option between Pant and Shikhar Dhawan, Smith again chose Pant. However, when asked to choose between Pant and Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins, Smith initially hesitated but ultimately picked Cummins. Similarly, when given the choice between Cummins and MI skipper Hardik Pandya, Smith stuck with Cummins. Finally, he chose Cummins over Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill as well. In a surprising turn of events, Steve Smith chose Sanju Samson over KL Rahul when given the choice between the two. Despite expressing shock at the mention of Samson's name, Smith remained firm in his decision to go with Samson over Rahul in the final selection. Watch the video:

Steve Smith picks between IPL 2024 captains 👇 (Sanju Samson fans unite, he's got you 🤜🤛) pic.twitter.com/PKgNbLzGDL

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 6, 2024