• With 4014 runs in 114 games@40.54 (strike rate: 142.13), David Warner — who has played in the tournament from 2009 to 2017 — is the top overseas run-scorer in the IPL, and fifth in the list overall. He has hit 36 fifties and three hundreds.
• Warner, leading Sunrisers Hyderabad, was the top runscorer in IPL 2015 & 2017.
• In the 2016 IPL, Warner slammed 848 runs in 17 games @ 60.57, including nine fifties and one hundred,to lead SRH to the title.
• Steve Smith has scored 1703 runs in 69 games in the IPL, in which he has played from 2012 to 2017. He’s played for the Pune Warriors, Rajasthan Royals and Rising Pune Supergiant.
• Smith was the fourth topscorer in IPL 2017. He led Pune Supergiants to the final, where they lost to Mumbai Indians.
POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS:
Joe Root (England): The England captain can replace Smith at Rajasthan Royals. Root went unsold in the auction.
Martin Guptill (New Zealand): The leading run-scorer in T20Is with 2271 runs is an ideal candidate to replace Warner. Wasn’t picked in the auction, to everyone’s surprise.
Luke Ronchi (New Zealand): Has hit form in the PSL, where he was player of the tournament.
Hashim Amla (South Africa): Has hit two IPL 100s. Can get a second chance after going unsold.
Shaun Marsh (Australia): One of the most successful IPL openers. Won the first-ever Orange Cap. Can partner Shikhar Dhawan at the top for Hyderabad.
NET LOSS
Smith and Warner will now miss out on more than Rs 20 crore each by not playing for Australia and IPL over the next 12 months. This figure excludes amount lost in sponsorships.
Smith and Warner have lost IPL contracts worth A$2.4 million each. Smith was ‘retained’ by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 12 crore, while Warner too was held back by SRH for Rs 12.5 crore.

Article courtesy – Times of  India of 29.03.18