December 23 (Friday) was a jackpot day for England cricketers and Australian. The final auction for the 16th season of IPL took place in Kochi which saw England players – Sam Curran, Ben Stokes and Cameron Green (Australia) – breaking the bank.
Punjab Kings splashed a whopping Rs. 18.50 crore to acquire the services of Sam Curran, while Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings roped in Cameron Green (Rs. 17.50) and Ben Stokes (Rs. 16.25 crore) respectively. While all three players had an illustrious resume coming to the IPL auction, Australian T20I skipper Aaron Finch claimed that Sam Curran has an edge over the other two.
“I think the only separation between Sam Curran, Ben Stokes and Cameron Green is Curran’s ability to bowl in the last five overs. His record has been unbelievable so that probably gives him the nod if you are going down the road of a bowing all-rounder,” Finch said on Star Sports. Notably, Sam Curran was adjudged Player of the Tournament and Player of the Match in the T20 World Cup 2022 and its final, in Australia.
Meanwhile, Finch acknowledged Ben Stokes' ability to balance any team with his all-round abilities. "He structures out any side tremendously well because he can bat in the top four, he can bat in the top six, and you can almost bank on him to bowl four overs as well. So, that's a huge asset and I'm not surprised that all three of those guys have been paid what they have been paid there,” added Finch.
The Australian skipper also claimed that Chennai has a history of going after experienced players, knowing what they want. “When you complement the experience in the squad with the fresh inclusion, it is so balanced when you throw that world-class all-rounder in the side,” added Finch.
