English all-rounder Tom Curran, who was recently signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for the upcoming IPL 2024 , has been sidelined from the BBL due to a knee injury. This injury occurred during the match between Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Stars on Saturday, January 6. Curran will be leaving Australia for the UK, where his injury will undergo more detailed evaluation.
Curran was acquired by RCB for INR 1.5 crores. With the IPL just three months away, this development is unfortunate for both Curran and the RCB team.
“The interaction with Umpire Qureshi took me by surprise at a time when I was very focused on my pre-match routine. I didn't expect the stand-off that resulted. I deeply regret the way I reacted to it and the resultant impact for Umpire Qureshi, the Sydney Sixers and myself personally. I am genuinely sorry that I chose to continue to practise my run up in the direction of umpire Qureshi, and if he ever thought I sought to make physical contact with him. I would like to apologise to everyone that this has affected,” wrote Curran.
Curran's performance in the BBL was not up to expectations. Additionally, he faced a four-match suspension in the tournament for intimidating an umpire. Following this incident, the fast bowler issued an apology for his conduct.
In the current season of the BBL, Curran had claimed four wickets in four matches and was expected to be a key player in the Sydney Sixers' bowling lineup, working in tandem with his fellow Englishman, Chris Jordan. Notably, he was the leading wicket-taker for his team in their 2019/20 championship-winning season, securing 22 wickets in 14 matches with an economy rate of 9.05, while also contributing valuable performances with the bat.
In the IPL auction, RCB's strategy raised some eyebrows. The team let go of key players like fast bowler Josh Hazlewood and spinner Wanindu Hasaranga before the auction. There was speculation that RCB might target Mitchell Starc or Gerald Coetzee for the upcoming season. Surprisingly, the team invested a hefty sum of 11.50 crores in Alzarri Joseph. Additionally, they acquired Yash Dayal for INR 5 crores, a figure nearly equal to what MI paid for Gerald Coetzee. RCB also missed out on securing a top-tier match-winning spinner.
RCB Full Squad: Faf du Plessis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green, Alzari Joseph, Yash Dayal, Tom Curray, Lockie Ferguson, Swapnil Singh, Saurav Chauhan.
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