New Delhi: Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) skipper Steve Smith brings an end to his long India stay which started with the first Test of the 4-match series in Pune. His 4-match stay concludes today at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad in the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 season.
On the eve of the IPL final against Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians, the Australian stalwart shared a hugely emotional Instagram post, expressing how grateful he has been for the unforgettable experience he has had in the past few months in the country.
Here's the Aussie skipper's message:-
"The last 4 months here in India have been incredible. There has been some ups and downs along the way but I've learnt such a great deal. The Test matches were tough but so enjoyable to be apart of. I've met some wonderful people, and I've made some new friends. The IPL and playing with Pune has been a terrific experience and I look forward to spending my last night here in India battling it out in the Final. Thank you to everyone here in India that has made this trip so unforgettable. #grateful #opportunity," read Smith's instagram post.
Pune, who ended the previous season at a rather embarrassing seventh position, had a mixed start this campaign but picked up momentum towards the business end.
Though the Purple army will miss Ben Stokes and Imran Tahir – two of their top performers in the season – they enter the deciding encounter with a reputation of being Mumbai's bogey team.
RPS, who will seeing their two-year run, along with Gujarat Lions coming to an end tonight, will look to bow out of the cash-rich league with a bang after being denied an extension by the league`s governing council earlier this month.
For MI, on the other hand, a win tonight will make them the most successful franchise in the competition with three titles. Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings are the other champions with two titles.
