"he has a lot of skills with both bat and ball."
England all-rounder Sam Curran has become the most expensive player in IPL history, signing for the Punjab Kings for Rs. 18.5 Crore (£1.85 million).
The 2023 IPL mini-auction is currently underway, featuring a total of 405 cricketers.
The auction has seen some big deals and England star Sam Curran has become the tournament’s most expensive player.
He signed for Punjab Kings after a bidding war broke out with his former team Chennai Super Kings.
Curran’s deal eclipses Chris Morris’ previous record with the Rajasthan Royals in 2021.
Speaking about Curran’s deal, Punjab Kings coach Trevor Bayliss said:
“Very happy to have him on board, he has a lot of skills with both bat and ball.
“We had two or three all-rounders in mind, Sam might be lucky he came up first.”
Meanwhile, new batting sensation Harry Brook was signed by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs. 13.25 Crore (£1.3 million).
Sunrisers Hyderabad saw off bids from both Rajasthan and Royal Challengers Bangalore to secure the services of the 23-year-old.
Harry Brook has 372 runs at a strike rate of almost 138 in 20 T20 international appearances for England and was part of their T20 World Cup-winning side in Australia in November 2022.
Brook’s eventual price was almost nine times his base price of Rs. 1.5 Crore (£150,000).
He also became the most expensive specialist batter ever sold at a mini-auction, beating West Indies batter Shimron Hetmyer’s previous record of Rs. 7.75 Crore (£775,000).
Sunrisers Hyderabad also signed former Punjab Kings captain Mayank Agarwal for Rs. 8.25 Crores (£825,000).
Australian Cameron Green was signed to Mumbai Indians for Rs. 17.5 Crore (£1.75 million), becoming the second most expensive player in IPL history.
Mumbai Indians owner Akash Ambani said:
“Green is someone we’ve tracked for 2-3 years and we thought he’s exactly what we needed.
“He fits the right age profile for us; we’ve been looking for younger players for a few auctions.”
Green said: “I’m pinching myself that this has all happened. It’s such a weird feeling watching an auction for yourself.
“I can’t believe how nervous I was and I was shaking like anything when the final call was confirmed.”
“I’ve always been a huge fan of the IPL and it’s going to be so cool to be a part of it. The Mumbai Indians are one of the powerhouses of the competition so I feel very humbled to be joining them. I can’t wait to get there next year.”
Chennai Super Kings signed Ben Stokes for Rs. 16.25 Crore (£1.62 million) while Nicholas Pooran also commanded big bucks as Lucknow bought him for Rs. 16 Crore (£1.6 million) after a bidding war with Delhi Capitals.
Earlier, former Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson was sold to reigning champions Gujarat Titans.
Joe Root remains unsold as he did in his only previous appearance in the IPL auction back in 2018. There is still a chance for him to be claimed later on in the team-building process.
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