Mumbai,
Steve Smith has stepped down as the captain of IPL team Rajasthan Royals following the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. Smith was stripped of the Australian captaincy for the remainder of the third Test on Sunday, and suspended for one Test by ICC after admitting to conspiring to tamper with the ball during the Cape Town Test.

He was due to captain Royals in this year’s IPL but has been replaced by Ajinkya Rahane. In a statement, Rajasthan Royals officials said Smith believes “it’s in the best interest of Rajasthan Royals that he steps down as captain so the team can get ready for the start of the IPL without the ongoing distractions.”

Smith rejoined Royals for this year’s competition having previously played for them in 2014-15, with the side having paid $1.07 million for his services.

“The incident in Cape Town has certainly disturbed the cricketing world,” Zubin Bharucha, Rajasthan Royals’ head of cricket, said. “We have been in constant touch with BCCI and taken their counsel. Furthermore, we have been in regular contact with Steve.” Royals co-owner Manoj Badale said, “We agree with Steve’s decision to step down as captain, and we are fortunate to have such a capable successor with Rahane. It is important that all cricket fans retain a balanced perspective on the situation. What happened in South Africa was clearly wrong, especially given that it appears to have been pre-meditated. That said, this will be a difficult time for Steve as well, given how much he cares about the game.”