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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Plane veers off runway, catches fire at South Korean airport with reports of 28 dead
Seoul (AP): A plane with malfunctioning landing gear veered off the runway, hit a fence and caught fire on Sunday at an airport in southern South Korea, killing at least 28 people, according to the emergency office and local media.
The emergency office said the fire was almost put out and rescue officials were trying to remove passengers from the Jeju Air passenger plane at the airport in the southern city of Muan. It said the plane with about 180 people was returning from Bangkok.
South Korean media outlets including Yonhap news agency reported that at least 28 people had died in the fire. The Muan Fire Station said it couldn't immediately confirm the casualty reports. It said emergency workers pulled out at least two passengers.
Yonhap reported the plane veered off the runway and collided with a fence. Emergency officials said they were examining the exact cause of the fire.
Local TV stations aired footage showing thick pillows of black smoke billowing from the plane engulfed with flame.
Deputy Prime Minister Choi ordered officials to employ all available resources to rescue the passengers and crew, according to Yonhap news agency.
BREAKING: Video shows crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216 in South Korea. 181 people on board pic.twitter.com/9rQUC0Yxt8
— BNO News (@BNONews) December 29, 2024
