When Sam Curran confirmed that he will be playing in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, many had predicted that he will become the most expensive player in the auction’s history. That is exactly what happened on December 23 as he was roped in for a jaw-dropping price tag of Rs 18.50 crore by Punjab Kings (PBKS). Before Curran, Chris Morris was the most expensive player at Rs 16.25 crore.
The English all-rounder’s stock saw a major rise after his performances in the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. Returning from injury, Curran became the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 13 wickets from six appearances. His bowling average was 11.38 and economy rate was an impressive 6.52 runs per over. He also registered England's record-breaking figures of 5/10 against Afghanistan in group stages.
The 24-year-old made his IPL debut in 2019 for the Punjab franchise. Later, he was picked by Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He pulled out of the previous season as he was still recovering from the injury and did not want overexert. Overall, he has played 32 IPL games. The southpaw has scored 337 runs including two half-centuries. With the ball, he has 32 wickets at an average of 31.09 and an economy rate of 9.21 runs per over.
The Northampton-born all-rounder made his T20I debut in 2019. He has 41 wickets from 35 games at an average of 21.75 and an economy rate of 7.71. Batting down the order, he has scored 158 runs at an average of 12.15 and a strike rate of 130.57.
"I am going be pick Sam (out of all). He is young and IPL tends to look to the future and you have to look at availability. He has had a good run of late,” Chris Gayle had told PTI on the eve of IPL auction.
"It is a possibility there will be some record breaking deal tomorrow. Don't be surprised if someone goes over the 16 or 17 crore barrier," the IPL legend added.
Cameron Green and Ben Stokes came close to Curran's bid as well. Green was picked by Mumbai Indians (MI) for Rs 17.50 crore whereas England Test skipper Stokes went to CSK for Rs 16.25 crore.
