The mini-auction for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 took place in Kochi last week (December 23), with several Indian as well as international players going under the hammer.
England all-rounder Sam Curran emerged as the star of the IPL 2023 auction as he created history by becoming the most expensive player in IPL ever. Curran was bought by Punjab Kings for a whopping Rs 18.50 crore. Another star England all-rounder Ben Stokes went to Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings for Rs 16.25 crore. But one name which left everyone surprised was Nicholas Pooran, who fetched Rs 16 crore from Lucknow Super Giants.
In the last season of IPL, Pooran played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad and scored 306 runs in 14 matches with two half-centuries. Pooran scored these runs at a strike rate of 144.34 but it was not enough to help SRH reach the playoffs stage as the SRH suffered 8 losses to end at the eighth place in point table.
But, LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir has defended the move to spend so much money on the Windies wicketkeeper-batter.
“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.
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