Australian skipper Steve Smith posts an emotional message on Instagram before the end of a long Indian tour

India has over the last few years become the second home for a lot of Australian cricketers, with the influence of the Indian Premier League looming large on the players. Several Aussie stars have actively been a part of the glitzy tournament, with Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee and Adam Gilchrist being a few of them.

The likes of David Warner and Steve Smith have absolutely made the league their own with performances of high stature. The Sunrisers skipper has been the backbone of the team, be it with the bat or be it on the field. Smith, meanwhile has guided his team to the finals of the tournament with his swift field placements and clever bowling changes.

Ahead of the final of the IPL season 10 Smith shared a collage of four images, the memories he will cherish the most as he will fly back to Australia after 4 long months. He posted it along with a message for his followers on Instagram.

Smith wrote- “The last 4 months here in India have been incredible. There has been some ups and downs along the way but I’ve learnt such a great deal. The Test matches were tough but so enjoyable to be apart of. I’ve met some wonderful people, and I’ve made some new friends. The IPL and playing with Pune has been a terrific experience and I look forward to spending my last night here in India battling it out in the Final. Thank you to everyone here in India that has made this trip so unforgettable. #grateful #opportunity”

The long Indian tour:

The Australian team set foot on Indian soil with dire criticism as they were about to face the Indian spinners in their den, but little did they know what Smith & Co. had on offer. The 27-year-old led his side incredibly to an outstanding victory in the first Test match at Pune with Steve O’Keeffe’s brilliance on the field.

However, the Australian team could not keep the peddle on fire, suffering defeat in the second and fourth Test before giving away the series 2-1 to the home side. The Australian batsman has been in the best form of his life with centuries coming in thick and fast.

Meeting his Holyness The Dalai Lama:

The Australian team was blessed with an opportunity to meet his holiness the Dalai Lama before they went out on the field in the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Dharamsala.

Since then, the Australian captain was appointed as the captain of the Rising Pune Supergiant franchise. The Australian has led the team to their first-ever IPL finals and also the first ever IPL final for a Pune-based franchise.

He would love to bag home the IPL trophy and help his team complete the incredible journey in the tenth edition of the IPL.

The last 4 months here in India have been incredible. There has been some ups and downs along the way but I've learnt such a great deal. The Test matches were tough but so enjoyable to be apart of. I've met some wonderful people, and I've made some new friends. The IPL and playing with Pune has been a terrific experience and I look forward to spending my last night here in India battling it out in the Final. Thank you to everyone here in India that has made this trip so unforgettable. #grateful #opportunity ✌?️????

A post shared by Steve Smith (@steve_smith49) on May 20, 2017 at 12:03pm PDT