On July 4, Friday, Jamie Smith demonstrated why England selected him, recording his second Test century in the current 2nd Test against India at Edgbaston. The 24-year-old wicketkeeper-batter made his century in 80 balls and became the first English keeper to record a Test century against India. Smith entered when England were 84 for 5 and played with utter confidence from the beginning. He played aggressive cricket like England's new "Bazball" style. His innings set numerous records, but the most notable among them was becoming the quickest batter to reach a Test century against India. He also went on to register 150+ runs, which was his highest Test score. Jamie Smith's batting approach and wicketkeeping abilities might interest IPL franchises. To date, he has not signed up for an IPL auction but with a mini auction on the cards, that is likely to change shortly. Smith not only keeps the wickets but also opens the batting for T20s, so he is a viable candidate for teams who require stability at the top order and a wicketkeeper as well. Here's a brief look at Jamie Smith's T20 career figures: Innings Runs HS Average Strike Rate 50s 4s 6s Ct St 75 1484 87 23.93 141.33 8 117 67 49 10 Also Read | Most Nervous Nineties in Test Cricket - Full Player List IPL Franchises Which Might Eye Jamie Smith Delhi Capitals Delhi Capitals had a bizarre season in IPL 2025. They began well but went to pieces in the second half of the tournament. Their greatest failing was the opening combination. Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk didn't provide decent starts, and DC tried 7 opening combinations in the last season of Indian Premier League (IPL). Also, wicketkeeper Abishek Porel was not comfortable with the gloves and also the young gun failed to convert the starts into big scores. Therefore, DC can target Jamie Smith, who can also open and keep the wickets. Faf du Plessis, Fraser-McGurk & Abhishek Porel IPL 2025 Stats: Criteria Faf du Plessis Jake Fraser-McGuk Abhishek Porel Innings 9 6 13 Runs 202 55 301 HS 62 38 51 Average 22.44 9.16 25.08 Strike Rate 123.92 105.76 146.82 50s/100s 2/0 0/0 1/0 Kolkata Knight Riders KKR too had an unfortunate season and ended at 8th position on the table. Their openers Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz were unable to provide good starts. They did manage to score some runs but were unable to maintain the consistency throughout the season. Since both failed with the bat and with them being wicketkeepers, KKR may look at Jamie Smith for a fresh start at the top. Smith's addition will also resolve their problems related to wicketkeeping as both Gurbaz and de Kock are keepers, it will be a like-for-like replacement. Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz IPL 2025 Stats: Criteria Quinton de Kock Rahmanullah Gurbaz Innings 8 5 Runs 152 74 HS 97* 35 Average 21.71 18.5 Strike Rate 129.91 139.62 50s/100s 1/0 0/0 Also Read | Top 10 Most Beautiful Cricket Stadiums in the World Chennai Super Kings MS Dhoni’s future with CSK is uncertain. If he has played his last season, CSK will need a new wicketkeeper. Even if he continues for one more season, the franchise will need someone who can take-up the wicketkeeper's responsibility after Dhoni's retirement. There are talks about CSK going for Sanju Samson ahead of the mini auction, but if that doesn’t happen, Jamie Smith could be a great fit. Also, with Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra likely to be released following a dismal last season, Smith could start with Ayush Mhatre as Ruturaj Gaikwad can bat at No. 3. With his capabilities and aggressive playing, he can fit CSK's mould well. Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra IPL 2025 Stats: Criteria Devon Conway Rachin Ravindra Innings 6 8 Runs 156 191 HS 69 65* Average 26 27.28 Strike Rate 131.09 128.18 50s/100s 2/0 1/0 Rajasthan Royals Rajasthan Royals also had a miserable last season of the IPL. The champions of the inaugural season not just faced the injury crisis, but they also suffered with the issues of the middle-order batting as Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer and Shubman Dubey failed to finish games for the side. Jurel, however, was better with the bat when compared to Hetmyer. With Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal most likely to open for RR in the upcoming season and Samson being traded to CSK (according to the reports), Jamie Smith fit well at no. 3 for RR as he can also replace Samson as a keeper. Even if Samson stays with Rajasthan Royals, Smith can be roped in as the English batter can perform well at no. 4 as well. Criteria Shimron Hetmyer Innings 13 Runs 239 HS 52 Average 21.72 Strike Rate 145.73 50s/100s 1/0 Also Read | Indian Cricketers as Panchayat Characters - A Fun Comparison What Jamie Smith Brings with Him? Jamie Smith is a wicket-keeper batter and hence, the team roping him in will not have to look for someone else to keep the wickets. Moreover, Jamie is known for his ability to play aggressive cricket in the shorter format of the game and utilizing his talent at the top will surely give fruitful results to the franchises looking for an attacking opener. The Englishmen is a versatile cricketer. For his domestic side Surrey Cricket Club, the wicketkeeper batter bats at 4 in FC, while for England in Tests, Jamie bats at no. 7. This shows his adaptability skills. If there's no opening slot available, Jamie can also deliver in the middle order. In addition to that, Smith is young and investing on him would be beneficial for longer run.