3 most expensive English players in IPL auctions
The IPL auction for the 2023 edition concluded yesterday. Some of the finest talents across the globe were signed by the franchises. English players, in particular, were in high demand.
England are the current world champions in both white-ball formats (the 2019 World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup). Since the debacle at the 2015 World Cup, England have made a conscious effort to change their approach to a more aggressive one.
World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan has credited the IPL for the team's success in major tournaments. According to the former England cricketer, the tournament's development process is massive.
On that note, let's take a look at the three most expensive English players in tournament history.
#1 Sam Curran
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23-year-old English all-rounder Sam Curran broke all records, becoming the most expensive player in the history of the tournament. He was signed for βΉ18.50 crores by the Punjab Kings. He returned to the franchise where he made his debut in 2019.
Curran had a promising season with the Punjab Kings in 2019. In his 9-game stint, he took a hat-trick against the Delhi Capitals and scored 55* off just 24 deliveries against the Kolkata Knight Riders. However, he was released in the subsequent season, after which CSK purchased the all-rounder.
Curran performed well for the 'Yellove Army' across the two seasons in 2020 and 2021. He scored 242 runs at a strike rate of 142 and dismissed 22 batters at an economy rate of slightly under 9 runs per over. He was used as a floater by the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led team.
He was adjudged the Player of the Tournament in the recently concluded ICC Men's T20 World Cup, where he took 13 wickets at an economy rate of close to 6 runs per over, predominantly bowling at the death.
#2 Ben Stokes
England's Test captain Ben Stokes has featured twice on this list. He was signed for a staggering βΉ14.5 crores by the Rising Pune Supergiants in IPL 2017. He had a brilliant season, scoring 316 runs at a strike rate of 143 and taking 12 wickets at an economy rate of 7.18 runs per over.
His performances took a dip in the subsequent IPL seasons in 2018 and 2019, when he moved to the Rajasthan Royals. However, he had a good season with the bat in 2020, when he scored 285 runs in 8 innings at a strike rate of 143. He was injured in the first game of IPL 2021, ruling him out for the rest of the season. In 2022, he opted out of the auction, citing Test cricket as a priority.
Ben Stokes was signed by the Chennai Super Kings for a price of βΉ16.25 crores, their most-expensive signing in the history of the tournament. He could prove to be their captain after MS Dhoni's retirement.
#3 Harry Brook
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The 24-year-old Yorkshire batter bagged a record deal of βΉ13.25 crore with the Sunrisers Hyderabad, becoming their most expensive acquisition at an IPL auction. Brook was part of England's T20 World Cup-winning squad.
He is yet to make his IPL debut. He has shown immense potential in T20 internationals and other domestic leagues. Ben Stokes has compared him to Virat Kohli in terms of how his technique can work across all formats and make him a potential superstar of the game.