Steve Smith and David Warner are about to complete the one-year ban after the ball-tampering scandal that happened last year in South Africa. Last year, the BCCI did not even allow the two players to be a part of the IPL 11. Now, both players will be seen donning the colours of their franchise. Steve Smith who is a part of the Rajasthan Royals will be in India for the IPL 12. Captain of Rajasthan Royals, Ajinkya Rahane is all set to welcome the Australian with love. IPL 2019: Rajasthan Royals Launch Pink Jersey for IPL 12; RR Pays Tribute to Rajasthan (See Pics)

According to Rahane, anyone can commit mistakes and not just him, but also the team will welcome him with love. According to Rahane, Steve Smith’s inputs will only benefit the team. “We all know how good Steve Smith is as a player and what he did in the past for Royals and for Australian cricket. Mistakes can happen and Rajasthan Royals is a team that believes in backing players. Definitely, we will welcome Steve Smith with love because he is our player and he is one of our own. It is good to have him and I’m sure his inputs and experience will benefit us,” Rahane told Hindustan Times.  RR Team in IPL 2019: List of Rajasthan Royals Players for Indian Premier League 12 After Auction.

Rahane also thanked the team management for allowing him to handle the reins of the team in the absence of Steve Smith. It was Shane Warne ho recommended Rahane’s name for captaincy. “All thanks to the management and Shane Warne who recommended my name since Smith was not available. Being a captain I really learned a lot. Our team did really well considering they were making a comeback after two years,” Rahane added. The teams have begun preparing for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League. However, the dates for the IPL are yet to be declared officially owing to the Lok Sabha election in the offing.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 11, 2019 06:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).