IPL 2023 auction: Sam Curran fetches whopping 18.50 cr bid from PBKS

The England allrounder had registered for the IPL 2023 mini auction at a base sum of INR 2 crores in the allrounder's set after partying ways with Chennai Super Kings (CSK). 
 
Sam Curran?width=963&height=541&resizemode=4

England allrounder Sam Curran registered for the mini-auction held in Kochi on Friday (December 23) for the IPL 2023 with a base sum of INR 2 crores.

Part of set 2 containing the big-name allround cricketers, Curran kept his name in the reckoning with the highest base bid, being a cricketer rejuvenated over the past couple of months. 

He finished as the 'Player of the Tournament' at the men's T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, where his crucial runs down the order and his ability to retain wood over batters, especially at the death, came in really handy in England's quest to bag the coveted silverware. 

Curran picked up 13 wickets from just six matches on Australian surfaces with his left-arm medium fast-bowling, carrying an economy rate of only 6.52. Relishing the conditions on offer to the seamers in a tournament played at the top end of the Aussie summer, he averaged 11.38 in England's campaign, bagging astonishing figures of 3 for 12 in the final at the MCG. 

The IPL 2023 marks the return of Sam Curran to the biggest T20 league in the world after a year of absence from 2022 season due to an injury. The player couldn't take part for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the two entities decided to part ways ahead of the mini-auction down South. 

IPL 2023 mini-auction: Sam Curran to PBKS

Curran played 23 matches for the MS Dhoni led CSK side before he was released ahead of the mini-auction for IPL 2023.

The lower-order batter recorded 242 runs at an impressive strike rate of 142.35, apart from taking 22 wickets with his left-arm swing bowling at an ER of 8.96. 

The youngster not only deepened the bowling resources for Dhoni & company but also lengthened their batting arsenal, giving them multiple options to use with the ball in different stages of the innings while also bolstering their available choices with the bat, allowing them to take on multiple opposition match-ups. 

Before he played the role astutely for CSK, Curran was integral to the Punjab franchise's plans in the same capacity, providing an ideal balance to their playing unit and offering their captain and coach a variety of options to be employed. 

It's why Punjab Kings (PBKS) franchise had absolutely no qualms in going after him wholeheartedly at the IPL 2023 mini-auction as Sam Curran fetches a whopping sum of INR 18.50 crores for the much-awaited next season of the game's toughest T20 competition.