Who won toss today in IPL: Why is Steve Smith not playing today’s IPL 2021 match vs SRH?

Dixit Bhargav | 22/09/2021
Who won toss today in IPL: Why is Steve Smith not playing today's IPL 2021 match vs SRH?

Steve Smith not playing: Delhi Capitals have made five changes to the Playing XI which had represented them last.

During the 33rd match of the ongoing 14th season of the Indian Premier League between Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Dubai, Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson has won the toss and chose to bat.

“Good surface. Make use of the conditions first up. For us it a chance to regroup. We want to put in a more focused performance. [David] Warner, [Jason] Holder, Rashid [Khan] and myself are the overseas players. Delhi are a very strong side,” Williamson told Star Sports at the toss.

Having last played in May 2021, Hyderabad have made three changes to their Playing XI bringing in David Warner, Wriddhiman Saha and Jason Holder for Jonny Bairstow, Vijay Shankar and Mohammad Nabi.

Why is Steve Smith not playing vs SRH today?

Delhi Capitals, on the other hand, have made five changes to their Playing XI since May 2021. While ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has replaced Lalit Yadav in the XI, DC have also dropped Australia batter Steven Smith.

“Absolutely fine fielding first. We would have bowled first anyway. We are just looking to focus and take one match at a time. [Anrich] Nortje, [Kagiso] Rabada, [Shimron] Hetmyer and [Macus] Stoinis are our overseas players,” Capitals captain Rishabh Pant told Star Sports at the toss.

While Pant wasn’t asked about the exact reason behind benching Smith, former captain Shreyas Iyer’s entry into the XI was always expected to happen at the price of dropping Smith as both of them playing together would’ve resulted in an extra anchor batter.

With Delhi also playing an extra overseas pacer in Nortje, they had no option than to bench an overseas batter.

Post Edited By: Dixit Bhargav
DC Delhi Capitals Indian Premier League IPL 2021 SRH Steve Smith Sunrisers Hyderabad

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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