English all-rounder proving to be a masterstroke for Chennai Super Kings this season and his efforts with bat and ball are earning him plaudits from captain Dhoni, coach Fleming
CSK's Sam Curran appeals against Sunrisers Hyderabad's David Warner during their match at Dubai recently. Pic: BCCI/IPL
One of the mysteries that has remained unsolved is why Kings XI Punjab decided to release Sam Curran last year.
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Curran was the most expensive foreign pick during the 2019 season for Punjab at Rs 7.2 crore. He struck a half-century and also picked up a hat-trick last season, proving his utility to a small extent for Punjab, but he was still released.
That he was still of high value because of his all-round skill was evidenced in the way Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals went after Curran during the auction.
They were involved in a neck-and-neck battle for the Englishman, before Chennai finally grabbed him for Rs 5.50 crore after having started at a base price of Rs 1 crore.
That decision to buy Curran is proving to be a masterstroke for Chennai this season. While the ongoing 2020 season has proved to be a nightmare for the squad as a whole, Curran has emerged unscathed with his reputation being enhanced as a quality all-rounder.
Terrific death bowling
The best example of Curran's utility was outlined on Saturday night when he bowled a terrific 19th over in the match against Delhi Capitals. At the crease were a well-set Shikhar Dhawan and Alex Carey, inching their side closer to a win. Delhi at that stage, needed 21 off 12 deliveries for a win. But Curran gave away just four runs and also picked up the wicket of Carey to set up the final over nicely.
It is a different matter that Axar Patel spoilt all the good work of Curran.
But Curran came away with a lot of credit and praise from captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. "A positive was Sam's last over. He needs convincing he can execute the wide yorkers. He is not usually confident with that, but today he did well with that. That is one ball which can be difficult to hit," said Dhoni in the post match presentation.
This was a big development for Curran, who was earlier in the tournament, considered not ready to bowl at the death. That is one of the reasons why Dhoni had kept him away from bowling in the climax.
Earmarked for a big role
Curran had obviously been earmarked for a big role right from the first match of the season against Mumbai Indians when he was promoted ahead of Dhoni in the batting order. Since then, Curran has grown from strength to strength. He has opened for Chennai in their last two games.
"We have had Sam padded up every time, looking to inject him into the innings but wickets have fallen. Rather than getting clogged up with probably too much batting resources, we thought we would be certain about Sam, put him up in front and see how he goes. That was the main reason," revealed Chennai head coach Stephen Fleming about the thought behind Curran opening.
Curran's rise in stature during the tournament has caught the eyes of both Fleming and captain Dhoni.
"In terms of his contribution, so far, he has exceeded what we wanted, probably not in his eyes, because he is very competitive. Every time we set a challenge; he has risen to it. He has been desperate to make a difference with the bat. I think we saw a glimpse of potentially what he can do for us in the future," Fleming added.
Also Read: Ravindra Jadeja bowling final over worked in DC's favour, says Shikhar
'Complete cricketer'
Probably the last word on Curran is best summed up by Dhoni. "Curran is a complete cricketer for us and you need that seaming all-rounder. He strikes the ball nicely, he can bat up the order and plays spinners well. He can give us those 15-45 runs if you need momentum," signed off Dhoni.
Read more on IPL 2020 here.
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