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IPL 2018: Here's why Ajinkya Rahane was appointed as Rajasthan Royals skipper

Rahane has been a proven performer for various IPL franchisees he has played so far.

Mumbai: Rajasthan Royals on Monday appointed Team India batsman Ajinkya Rahane as the new skipper of Rajasthan Royals for the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League. Rahane replaces Steve Smith, who stepped down as skipper after the ball-tampering incident.

Rahane has been a consistent run scorer for various franchises during eleven years of IPL he has played so far. From 2008 to 2017, he has played a total of 111 games from which he has 3,057 runs. His experience, both in the IPL and international will certainly prove handy for the Royals, who are making a comeback in IPL after two years absence.

Rahane's best performance for Rajasthan came in 2015 when he scored 540 runs at a healthy average of 49.09. When Royals were suspended for the 2016 and 2017 seasons due to match-fixing, the Mumbai batsman played for Rising Pune Supergiant under MS Dhoni. While playing for Pune, the 29-year-old scored 480 runs (2016) and 382 runs(2017) .

Speaking about Rajasthan's new captain, Bharucha added, “Ajinkya Rahane has been an integral part of the Royals family for a long time now and he understands the culture and values of our team. We have absolutely no doubt that he will be a great leader of the Rajasthan Royals.”

“Rajasthan Royals will do everything possible to protect the values and the integrity of the game. We agree with Steve’s decision to step down as captain, and we are fortunate to have such a capable successor with Ajinkya Rahane.

"It is important that all cricket fans retain a balanced perspective on the situation. What happened in South Africa was clearly wrong, especially given that it appears to have been pre-meditated. That said, this will be a difficult time for Steve as well, given how much he cares about the game," said Manoj Badale, the co-owner of Rajasthan Royals.

( Source : deccan chronicle )
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