Sam Curran, Cameron Green & more: Meet the IPL’s latest millionaires

Sam Curran (₹ 18.5 crore to Punjab Kings)

The Punjab Kings splurged heavily on English all rounder Sam Curran, spending the biggest amount ever in the history of IPL auctions. Sam Curran is currently in a purple patch of form, winning the Player of the Tournament in the recently concluded World T20. His performance powered England to a World T20 title.

Sam Curran, 24, is a talented left arm swing bowler with deceptive nip and a knack of picking up crucial wickets. His left arm angle and natural swing makes him a tricky customer to deal with. In the recent World T20, he averaged 11.38 with the ball with a miserly economy of 6.52. He took a lot of wickets in the powerplay, with his early strikes setting up games for England.

He is also a capable batter, with his left handedness and handy hitting ability making him a perfect situational hitter. With his gun fielding abilities, Curran is the complete package and one of the hottest commodities in world cricket.

Cameron Green (₹ 17.5 crore to Mumbai Indians)

Mumbai Indians surprised everyone when they shelled out more than 85 percent of their remaining purse for Australian all rounder Cameron Green. Green has been touted as Australia’s next all format all rounder. While his international white ball career is still at its nascence, he gets picked on the back of stellar performances in India during Australia’s 2022 tour.

For many fans, Cameron Green is Australia’s next big cricket superstar (AP)

Green is an athletic freak, with a tall and well built frame and lots of power. While still new to top level T20s, his initial performances with the bat have given glimpses of his ability to hit a long ball consistently. In three matches in the India series, he scored 118 runs at an average of 39.33 and a superhuman strike rate of 214.54.

However, his bowling is a question mark at this level. While he definitely has a lot of tools to succeed in the future, he is yet to perfect his T20 lines and lengths. Notably, he generates extra bounce to make batters uncomfortable.

For Mumbai Indians, this is a deal with the future in mind. They see a player possessing some promising attributes, who has already shown some glimpses of potential. Only time will tell whether he will repay this faith put on him.

Ben Stokes (₹ 16.25 crore to Chennai Super Kings)

While Ben Stokes is not as a T20 specialist, opponents should underestimate him at their own peril. In the recently concluded World T20, he shepherded England to two crucial victories with the bat while bowling critical overs.

Ben Stokes is the current English test captain, and arguably the greatest all rounder of this generation (REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro)

He is a versatile T20 batter. While his best position is probably at the top of the order, he is more than capable of playing a role as a finisher. Stokes plays with characteristic flair, hitting both spin and pace with ferocity. Over his IPL career, he has scored at a strike rate of over 130 with an average of 25, statistics which definitely undersell his match-winning qualities.

He is a useful fifth bowling option and a phenomenal fielder. He was crowned as IPL’s MVP in the 2017 season when he took 12 wickets and scored 316 runs. CSK will also look to take advantage of Stokes’ leadership qualities, with him being a potential candidate to replace MS Dhoni when he retires.

Nicholas Pooran (₹ 16 crore to Lucknow SuperGiants)

Nicholas Pooran has showcased exceptional talent while also experiencing innumerable lows over his career. However, the sheer potential of the Trinidadian southpaw make him a perennial favourite of the IPL auctions. For LSG, he will be a crucial cog in the middle order and a wicket keeping option.

Pooran recently stepped down from West Indian captaincy after a disastrous World Cup campaign (West Indies board)

His last season for the Sunrisers Hyderabad was underrated, with Pooran managing to score over 300 runs at a strike rate of over 140. However, he did not have any “big performances” to boast about. Notably, his 2020 season with Punjab Kings was a disaster: he scored at an average of under 8 and a strike rate of just over 110.

For LSG, Pooran is a gamble with great upside but also the potential to backfire. Only time will tell whether it pays off.

Harry Brook (₹ 13.25 crore to Sunrisers Hyderabad)

23-year old English batting sensation Harry Brook is all set to make his IPL debut for SRH this season. He is an aggressive right hand batter with nearly 100 professional T20 games under his belt at his early age. He is currently a crucial part of the English cricketing setup across formats, with the ability to score fast right from the outset.

Harry Brook is a 360 degree player, with the ability to hit the ball to all parts of the ground (AP)

His overall T20 stats boast a strike rate of nearly 150 with a respectable average of 33.7. This means that Brook’s game is a perfect marriage between strike rate and consistency. For SRH he will provide some much needed quality in the top or middle order.

Excited to make his debut in the IPL, Harry Brook told reporters, “my grandma started crying when I was picked up. Thank you so much SRH”.