Rahane sacked as Royals captain in middle of IPL, Smith given leadership charge
Jaipur: Former Australian captain Steve Smith on Saturday replaced Ajinkya Rahane as Rajasthan Royals skipper, hoping the mid-season switch will revive their disappointing campaign so far in the IPL.
Smith, who is back in action after serving a one-year ban for his role in the ball-tampering scandal, has been made the leader of the team once again. The announcement was made ahead of Royals' clash against Mumbai Indians here.
The hosts, who have lost six out of their eight games, need to win at least five of their remaining six matches to have any chance of making the play-offs.
Smith was also named captain before the start of the 2018 edition but in the wake of the ball-tampering incident, it was decided that Rahane would lead the team in the Australian's forced absence.
"Rajasthan Royals will be led by the Australian batsman Steven Smith for the upcoming matches of the IPL. Ajinkya Rahane did a fantastic job in leading the team to the playoffs last year, however, the franchisee now thinks a fresh approach is needed to bring their 2019 campaign back on track.
"Steve has always been part of the leadership team within RR and Rahane will continue to be a key voice in the side, therefore the Royals see this as a small restructuring process to secure the results required to move up the table," said the team in a statement.
However, Smith is expected to be available until May 1 but by then, the team would have played majority of its league games.
Star players Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler would also be leaving next week to join England's World Cup camp.
Smith has made 186 runs in seven games at 37.20 with 73 being his highest. Rahane, on the other hand, has scored 201 runs at 25.12 including a top-score of 70.
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Outrage in Pune as pet dog beaten, hanged by owner's family
Pune: A deeply disturbing incident of animal cruelty has surfaced in Pune, where a pet dog, owned by Omkar Jagtap, was reportedly beaten and hanged to death by the family. The incident has sparked widespread public outrage, with calls for justice from animal rights activists and political leaders.
According to a local foundation’s social media post, the dog had been ‘severely’ beaten before being found hanging from a tree. An SOS call had been made to authorities warning of the family's threats to kill the pet if it wasn’t removed immediately, but help arrived too late.
The post shared graphic details, alleging that Jagtap’s mother was seen mercilessly hitting the dog with a thick stick, leaving injuries across its body. The foundation urged for action, stating, “The dog trusted the family, and they betrayed it. If this doesn’t boil your blood, what will? Omkar Jagtap has murdered his dog, a pet he raised since it was a pup.”
The incident drew sharp condemnation from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, who demanded action from Pune Police. “I just came across a very, very heartbreaking image of a dog being hung to death by its owner's family in Pune. I am shocked beyond words to see how humans can behave this way. Beyond elections and the other stress of duty, I am appealing to Pune city police to take strict action against those guilty of this. It’s inhumane. Pets are family too," Thackeray wrote on X (formerly Twitter), urging the police to act decisively.
