'It was a great experience, but also very daunting' - Steve Smith on captaining MS Dhoni in IPL 2017

Steve Smith recalled the 2017 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season where he captained the Rising Pune Supergiant, a team that also consisted of India great Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The Australian is making a return to the IPL 2023 as a commentator. The 16th edition of the IPL will begin on March 31 with Gujarat Titans (GT) taking on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

In a recent conversation, Smith opened up about his experiences of captaining Rising Pune Supergiant. He said that it was daunting for him when he was named the captain of a team that had Dhoni as a member. He added that Dhoni's performance had been outstanding in that season and it was a great experience for him to captain a legend like him.

During an interaction with Star Sports ahead of the IPL 2023, Smith said:

"Of course, you know he's been able to achieve so much over such a long period of time, he's going to go down as one of the best leaders to play the game for sure. So, you know, when I got the call to say that they wanted me to captain, it was a little bit daunting. But that season, MSD was just wonderful. You know, he helped in any way that he could and he's a terrific guy. It was a great experience being able to captain him, but also very daunting as well. 

Behind the stumps, he's got a great view of the game: Smith

Steve Smith then recollected his experience working with Dhoni on the field. The 33-year-old said that MS Dhoni has been great behind the stumps. He also said that the former India skipper knew the angles very well as the game was being played at his home. He added that Dhoni helped the team a lot to achieve what they did in that season.

"Well, it was a while ago now, but yeah, look out on the field. He was someone that I was bouncing ideas off. You know, being behind the stumps, he's got a great, great view of the game. He understands the angles really well and obviously playing in India also, you know, it's his home and he understands those conditions as well as anyone would," he added.

“So, you know, I would've been stupid if I wasn't trying to get as much knowledge as I could out of him in the middle. And yeah, he was very helpful and certainly helped us achieve what we did that year,” Smith concluded.