According to reports in Mumbai Mirror, Rajasthan Royals may look for a replacement for injured Steve Smith for the upcoming season of the IPL 2019. Smith was banned from IPL 2018 for his involvement in the ball tampering scandal.

Smith, who recently featured in the Bangladesh Premier League 2019, injured his elbow two matches into the tournament and is set to undergo surgery on Tuesday to repair a ligament in his right elbow.

Following the surgery, the 29-year-old right-hander is expected to spend six weeks in a brace and then undergo extensive rehabilitation. This means that he won’t be back till April 15 and is set to miss a huge chunk of IPL 2019.

A Cricket Australia spokesperson said on Saturday that Smith’s return to playing will be made clearer once the brace is removed. The injury is a major blow to Smith, whose 12-month ban ends on March 28.

This injury may also have an impact on the decision to pick him in the Australian team for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 and for the Ashes 2019 series, both to be played in England.

(with hindustantimes.com inputs)