Here's why Rajasthan Royals named Ajinkya Rahane as skipper

IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals have named Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane as the new skipper of the side for IPL 2018. The decision comes after formerly appointed captain Steve Smith stepped down from the helm following his involvement in the sandpaper gate fiasco. Cricket Australia (CA) has already stood down Smith and vice-captain David Warner over the scandal, leaving Tim Paine in charge of the team for the final Test in the four-match series in South Africa.

The incident took place during the third Test between South Africa and Australia after Cameron Bancroft was spotted using a sandpaper to tamper the leather. Footage emerged on the giant screen of the Aussie seemingly working on the ball with a yellow item, before sliding it into his pants.

Speaking about Rajasthan‘s new captain, Zubin Bharucha, head of cricket for RR said, “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.”

He added, “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.”

The Royals also took to their official Twitter handle to share the news.

You can see the Tweet below

Rajasthan Royals appoint @ajinkyarahane88 as the captain for #IPL2018

“The game is bigger than any individual and we hold this thought close to our heart.”- Manoj Badale , the co-owner of Rajasthan Royals

Read more: https://t.co/qBQbgUFb2u pic.twitter.com/iy3sMVWlc1

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) March 26, 2018

Rahane in IPL

A lynchpin in the batting lineup, Rahane has been a consistent run scorer in the last decade of IPL. From 2008 to 2017, the 29-year-old 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 hiatus.

The Royals were suspended for the 2016 and 2017 seasons due to match-fixing, during which the Mumbai batsman plied his trade for Rising Pune Supergiant under MS Dhoni.