Relationship with MS Dhoni pretty chilled out, says Steve Smith

Rising Pune Supergiant skipper Steve Smith went on record to say that his relationship with MS Dhoni is ‘pretty chilled out’. Smith took over as captain of the setup following a poor inaugural season in the IPL. MS Dhoni led RPS in 2016 after the Chennai Super Kings setup was suspended from the tournament for a period of two years.

Smith continues to be amongst the runs at his home ground in Pune. Earlier, the Australian captain hit a wonderfully crafted century as the visitors defeated India in a shocking turn of events. Smith was back in Pune to smash an unbeaten 84 against the Mumbai Indians in the first Maharashtra Derby of the season.

After RPS burned down all hopes of the Royal Challengers Bangalore making the playoffs with a 61-run victory, iplt20.com caught up with Steve Smith. The Aussie revealed about his relationship with MS Dhoni and his love affair with the MCA Stadium.

Smith was all praises for his wicket-keeper batsman. “MS Dhoni has been fantastic as he knows the game incredibly well out here. As a wicket-keeper, it is nice to have someone out there who can look at the angles and get them right. He has done that well for us and I’m sure he will continue to make a big impact and help me and the rest of the boys and hopefully have more success in the rest of this tournament,” Smith said.

Dhoni has often been spotted giving tips to Steve Smith during this IPL. The Australian was happy to receive helpful inputs from the former Indian captain.

“It’s pretty chilled out with him. He has been fantastic and has had a few valuable contributions with the bat and he is hitting the ball really well. I think he will come back to great form and have a bigger impact by the end of this IPL. I’m really excited about the next couple of games,” Smith shared.

The MCA Stadium in Pune has indeed treated Steve Smith very well. He shared that he found it nice to play in this scenic ground. “It’s a nice place to play. Nice small boundaries and usually a very good wicket to bat on. I’ve had a bit of success here at the MCA stadium and long may that continue.”

When asked if MS Dhoni is the fastest stumper ever, Smith said, “Look, he’s incredibly quick behind the stumps and his hands don’t go back at all, they just stay there and collect the ball. He has done that for a very long time now and has done it once or twice for us in this tournament so far and is doing a great job for the team.”

The Rising Pune Supergiant are on course towards making it into the playoffs. The side, currently at the fourth position, has 10 points in the bag. RPS will need another 3 wins from their next 5 games to be amongst the top four at the end of the league phase.