The last four days have been very tough for all the Australian cricketers and the fans as their team is in crisis after what happened in the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town where Cameron Bancroft was caught trying to tamper the ball with sandpaper. As an aftermath of it, we might see some players getting strictly punished. Let us take a look at five possible replacements for Steve Smith if he is banned by Cricket Australia from taking part in the IPL.
5. Eoin Morgan
IPL figure don't show his real value, his average of 29.96 at a strike-rate of 132.33 in 72 T20Is makes him a dangerous batsman in the middle and death overs.
4. Rovman Powell
West Indian batsman Rovman Powell was a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad for the 2017 IPL but unfortunately, he didn't get to play a single game for them.
3. Joe Root
Root is easily one of the best batsmen of this generation and him being a part of the IPL will be a massive boost for the tournament. An average of 40 and a strike-rate of 129 in 25 T20 internationals are numbers that most of the batsmen long for. However, the 27-year-old was unsold in the auction because of the team owners' decision not to have more Englishmen in their side for various reasons.
2. Lendl Simmons
West Indian batsman Lendl Simmons is one of the most underrated players to have played in the IPL. In spite of playing a key role for Mumbai Indians in their 2015 IPL triumph, he couldn't seal his place in the side for the 2017 season and was later released by the franchise ahead of the 2018 IPL auction. He was eventually unsold in the auction.
1. Luke Ronchi
If the Rajasthan think-tank decide to go by the recent form, there is no one better than Luke Ronchi to fill the void that might be created by Smith's absence. Kiwi wicket keeper batsmen had a base price of 75 lakhs and went unsold at the IPL auction.
