The IPL 2023 mini-auction saw overseas players bagging lucrative deals and becoming super rich overnight. England all-rounder Sam Curran shattered all records to become the most-expensive cricketer in tournament history. He was purchased by his debut team, Punjab Kings for a hefty amount of Rs 18.5 crore while his compatriots, Ben Stokes (Rs 16.25 crore) and Harry Brook were roped in by Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, respectively. Australia’s Cameron Green was bought by Mumbai Indians for Rs 17.5 crore, becoming the 2nd most expensive ever in the league.
Apart from the Australian and English cricketers, Caribbean batter Nicholas Pooran was also handed a multi-million contract. Lucknow Super Giants bought the West Indies white-ball captain for Rs 16 crore for the upcoming IPL season.
Pooran happens to be a hard-hitter in the shortest format but his IPL numbers aren’t that impressive. In the last edition, where he represented Sunrisers Hyderabad, he featured in all 14 league matches and scored 306 runs including a couple of half-centuries. His contribution didn’t help SRH to make it to the playoffs and the team ended up 8th on the points table.
But the LSG management is unfazed by Pooran’s performance last season. Speaking with JioCinema, team mentor Gautam Gambhir said he emphasises on a player’s ability and thus, justified the wicketkeeper-batter’s price tag.
“I don’t look at the last season. I look at the player’s ability and impact. This tournament is not about scoring 500-600 runs. That player can win you 2-3 matches in a season, and he has age on his side. If you can get such a player, you try your best to build your team around him,” Gambhir told JioCinema.
“I’m not only looking for this season, he also provides us longevity. Very less players in that age bracket (27-28) have that ability. Pooran will continue to get better as he plays. I always believe that records only make headlines but impact wins you the tournament,” he added.
Gambhir further clarified Pooran’s role in the team, stating that the franchise was looking to have a finisher in the squad.
“Finisher. I can’t tell you the XI. But we have Marcus Stoinis, Pooran, and Quinton de Kock. Moreover, we will now be having the impact player rule as well. We will make our XI in such a way that if we have to bring in a replacement, we can pick any of these players to bring into the match,” said Gambhir.
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