Aakash Chopra raises compelling concerns about the Punjab Kings (PBKS) for opting to retain Sam Curran for a substantial fee leading up to the IPL 2024 auction.
In the IPL 2023 auction Sam Curran was acquired for ₹18.50 crore securing his position among PBKS 17 retentions for the upcoming season. Ahead of the auction the IPL 2014 finalists released seven players with Shahrukh Khan (₹9 crore) being the only bigticket player they let go.
In a video posted on his YouTube account, Chopra showed his astonishment at the Punjab Kings’ choice to keep Curran on staff. He thought to himself:
“I was extremely surprised. Why did you retain Sam Curran? They have parked 18.50 crore rupees in one place. I won’t call him a non-performing asset but a very expensive asset for sure. He was sold for 18.50 crore rupees because there were only three all-rounders in the small auction.”
“However, if you see his performances in the last IPL, the SA20 now, or the last year, he hasn’t done anything special for the last 12-17 months. He just played well in the 2022 T20 World Cup and that too because the side boundaries were very big in Australia.”
Aakash Chopra
Currans performance in IPL 2023 turned out to be indifferent having secured 10 wickets in 14 games at an economy rate of 10.22. Nonetheless there was a silver lining as he showcased decent prowess with the bat accumulating 276 runs from 13 innings at an impressive strike rate of 135.96.
Aakash Chopra questions Trevor Bayliss’ impact on Punjab Kings’ retention of Sam Curran
Aakash Chopra questioned if the Punjab Kings were able to keep Sam Curran because Trevor Bayliss was the head coach. He declared:
“He should have been released. If you wanted, there was a buyback option available. You could have got him back for half the price or even cheaper, but Punjab said they would keep him with them. Is that the Trevor Bayliss connection? I don’t know, I am just contemplating.”
Aakash Chopra
The well-known pundit was also unconvinced by PBKS’ choice to grant Shahrukh Khan’s freedom. He clarified:
“Why you let Shahrukh Khan go – I have got no idea whatsoever because you gave him few chances. He did well in whatever opportunities you gave him but you let him go. They decided to take a different path.”
Aakash Chopra
A bid to repurchase Shahrukh Khan in the IPL 2024 auction was made by the Punjab Kings. But the Gujarat Titans outbid them for ₹7.40 crore to acquire the big-hitter from Tamil Nadu.