Former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) star AB de Villiers believes that England all-rounder Sam Curran has been getting extra money in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the last few years. He said it would have been good if Punjab Kings released him.
English all-rounder Sam Curran has been one of the best choices in recent auctions. Every time he participated in the event, he won a lot of money. But it is fair to say that his performances have not justified his price as he has been quite expensive with the ball and has also not batted well as expected of him.
Sam Curran before IPL 2023 was acquired by the Punjab Kings for a hefty amount of INR 18.5 crore, which at that time was the most expensive player. The all-rounder, however, did not have a great season and was also heavily criticized for the kind of performances he put up in the league.
In the 14 matches he played last season, Sam Curran picked just 10 wickets and that was expensive too. The all-rounder could not set the stage on fire with the bat as he only managed 276 runs. But despite that, the franchise hired him for the next edition.
During a Q&A session on his YouTube channel, AB de Villiers was asked if PBKS should have released Sam Curran ahead of IPL 2024. In response, he highlighted the all-rounder’s below-average performances in the last few seasons. .
AB de Villiers admitted that although Sam Curran can turn things around, he is overpaid in the IPL. He said it would have been a good decision if PBKS had released him as it would have expanded their fund. He explained:
“I don’t like to be controversial. But, in my opinion, he has been overpaid for quite a few years now. He’s not a bad player; I like him. He has had a fantastic World Cup, but that was many years ago. I don’t think he has had a very good IPL recently. Furthermore, with England he hasn’t played exceptionally well.
“He can change things like most world-class players do. Nothing against Sam Curran. I still think he is a wonderful player. I just think he’s been overpaid for a few years. Maybe it would have been a good decision on his part to let him go to open up some funds to buy different players.”
In total, Sam Curran has played 46 matches in his IPL. He has picked 42 wickets at an average of 35.33 and an economy rate of 9.52. Apart from that, he also scored 613 runs at a strike rate of 143.22.
IPL 2024: I don’t think you are overpaying – AB de Villiers on Harshal Patel
Punjab Kings had a decent outing in the IPL 2024 auction. They brought some game-changers in the team, with Indian pacer Harshal Patel being the most expensive for them. They brought in the fast bowler for INR 11.75 crore.
AB de Villiers shared his verdict on the same and said that Harshal Patel is a smart choice for Punjab Kings and he is not overpaid. De Villiers praised him as a fantastic player and also highlighted that he can contribute with the ball. He explained:
“Harshal is looking for a pretty nifty Rs 11.75 crore. I don’t think it’s an excessive payment. He is a fantastic player. He is a wonderful T20 cricketer. He can also hit the cricket ball. The slower ball he bowls fools a lot of batsmen.”
Apart from Harshal Patel, Punjab Kings brought in Chris Woakes, Ashutosh Sharma, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Shashank Singh, Tanay Thyagarajann, Prince Choudhary and Rilee Rossouw.
