Sam Curran missed IPL 2022 due to an injury. However, the player has returned to full fitness and played in T20 World Cup 2022. Every team needs variety in the form of a left-arm pacer. In Sam Curran, there is also a useful batter either at No.7 or No.8 or as a floater. He is young and will be an investment for the future. Hence, a lot of teams will have eyes on him. Here, we take a look at three teams that can target Sam Curran in the upcoming IPL 2023 Mini Auctions.
1) Mumbai Indians
The owners of Mumbai Indians signed up Sam Curran for MI Cape Town in SA20 League. This is a clue that the management might be interested in the services of the youngster in IPL, too. In IPL 2022, MI used Daniel Sams as the new ball bowler and as the all-rounder at No.7. Sam Curran would be an upgrade over the Aussie.
Sam Curran can bowl in the powerplay and also has variations to do well at the death. He would be a perfect complement for Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer (if available). Moreover, Curran adds depth to the batting unit. Hence, he could be targeted by the five-time champions.
2) Kolkata Knight Riders
Ben Stokes, Cameron Green and Sam Curran likely to part of the mini auction ahead of IPL 2023. (According to Cricbuzz)
— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) November 4, 2022
Kolkata Knight Riders did not have a well-balanced XI in IPL 2022. At times, they had to play Pat Cummins at No.7, which left them with a long tail. The bowling also lacked variety. Sam Curran could fix a few problems for the two-time champions.
While Curran would add a left-arm seam option for the franchise, he could also be used as a floater in the batting unit. The team did not get good starts in IPL 2022 and it won’t be a bad idea to try him as a pinch-hitting opener.
3) Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals might have to rework their XI for IPL 2023. They lacked a genuine all-rounder which made them, at times, use only three overseas slots. Sam Curran is a fine option that can improve the franchise.
At No.7 and with R Ashwin coming at No.8, the team will have sufficient batting depth. While Trent Boult and Sam Curran can be used in the powerplay, Prasidh Krishna can act as the enforcer in the middle overs. A combination of this trio can be used for the death overs. Kuldeep Sen can also be utilized based on the combination. Hence, RR is one of the teams that can target Sam Curran in the upcoming IPL 2023 Mini Auctions.
