Smith to skipper Royals in IPL

Australia captain Steve Smith will lead the Rajasthan Royals in their return to the Indian Premier League this season, the club announced Saturday.

The appointment was broadcast live on Star Sports TV in India ahead of the franchise’s return to the lucrative tournament.

The Royals, along with the Chennai Super Kings, re-enter the competition after a two-year ban over an illegal gambling scandal handed down in 2015.

It means Smith will team up with Australian spin legend Shane Warne, who was announced as the team's mentor earlier this year.

"We came to the conclusion that Steve Smith would be the ideal candidate for the job," Zubin Bharucha, Rajasthan Royals' head of cricket, said Saturday.

"Smith has been incredible as captain of Australia. He is someone who leads the team by example."

The Australian skipper, in a statement released by the club, said he was looking forward to leading the team.

"It's an honour and privilege to be leading (the) Royals and I'm looking forward to working with the King (Shane Warne)," Smith said.

The appointment follows a successful stint for Smith at the helm of the Rising Pune Supergiants last year.

The six-season veteran compiled a career-high 472 runs and guided the Supergiants to the IPL final, falling short by one run in the season decider.

Smith was the only player retained by the Royals back in January, securing a lucrative contract worth $AUD 2.4 million.

This year’s tournament could prove especially crucial to Smith’s preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup, set to be hosted in Australia in 2020.

The over-crowded international schedule and a need to rest between tours has meant Smith hasn't played a T20 for his country in almost two years, giving rise to suggestions that captaining the national team in all three formats could be unsustainable in the long term.

But the man considered to be the best Test batsman in the world is confident that his abilities remain transferable to the shorter versions of the game.

"I certainly see that I've got a future in T20 cricket," Smith said during Australia’s recent T20 tri-series, which he was rested from.

"I've done reasonably well in the IPL in the last couple of years and hopefully I can do the same again and keep performing and putting my name up for T20 selection.

"I'm comfortable at the moment (captaining in three formats). Obviously, it’s been a while since I played a T20 international ... but I think I'll get the opportunity to certainly be available for selection in T20 cricket in the next year or so and hopefully be able to get some games in.

"In an ideal world I'd love to play every game. I don't really like resting, but to be fair on this occasion I think it's been the best thing for me.

"It's nice to know that if I do have a rest, Davey can step up and do a terrific job."