IPL 2023: 3 players PBKS could’ve picked instead of Sam Curran

Punjab Kings (PBKS) had a disappointing campaign last year and just like every year, parted ways with a lot of their players and even bought a new coaching staff for the upcoming season. They released their former captain and opener, Mayank Agarwal, and did not buy him back in the recently concluded auction on December 23 in Kochi.

PBKS went for the rising all-rounder Sam Curran and roped him in for INR 18.50 crore, thereby making him the most expensive buy of all-time in the IPL history. However, the franchise could have opted for numerous other players who could have easily proved to be steal buys and would have added better value to the team. 

The franchise already has potentially good fast bowlers like Arshdeep Singh and Kagiso Rabada alongside some gun batters in Jonny Bairstow, and Liam Livingstone among others, hence spending such a huge sum of money on Curran was baffling to some extent. There were certainly different areas they could have improved upon going into the next season of the Indian Premier League.

Here are three players PBKS could’ve picked instead of Sam Curran

1. Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes is a more complete all-rounder as compared to Sam Curran. He is a reliable middle-order batter and has a knack of picking wickets by bowling tight lines and lengths at pace. His incredible fielding abilities also adds to his skill sets. 

Stokes also would have come at a hefty price, but at the same time, the value he can add to a team is much more than what Sam Curran could potentially offer. Curran in the SA20 hasn’t been able to show his class. Whilst, Stokes has won two white-ball World Cups for his country and has shown what he can do when his team is under pressure.

Another reason why the Christchurch-born is a more complete option than Curran is his vast IPL experience. He previously played with Rajasthan Royals and Rising Pune Supergiants, where he showed his class time and time again. His ability to snatch matches from the jaws of defeat is a characteristic only a few possess in cricket.