“Felt like I came back a much better player after the IPL in Dubai” – Sam Curran 

Sam Curran was recently asked to give his thoughts on playing last year's IPL despite the jam-packed calendar, in response to which the Englishman stressed that the experience made him a better cricketer.

Ever since cricket has resumed following the COVID-19 lockdown, several players have had non-stop cricketing schedules. Living in bio-bubbles for extended periods has made things even more difficult for the players. Several players have complained about the mental effects of being in a bio-bubble for long periods of time. Rest and workload management have also become more important than ever.

In light of this, there are contrasting opinions about holding two editions of the IPL in the space of just six months. But while speaking at a press conference ahead of the first T20I against India, Sam Curran revealed he was grateful for being able to play in the IPL.

“I definitely came back a much better player after the IPL in Dubai last year. I had to play many different roles and got challenged in many different ways, which I really enjoyed and I think it has benefitted my game,” said Sam Curran.

Sam Curran was a bright spot in CSK's disappointing IPL 2020 campaign

CSK failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time

One of the challenges the 22-year-old faced last year was playing the all-rounder role for an underwhelming Chennai Super Kings team last year. MS Dhoni’s men seemed pretty hapless in the UAE and finished second from bottom. They could manage just six victories and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since the inaugural season of the IPL.

That said, Sam Curran had a fruitful season on an individual level. He was among the best players for the Chennai Super Kings and posted excellent numbers.

In 14 matches, Curran scored 186 runs in the CSK middle order. He had an average above 23 and a strike rate over 130. Curran also impressed with the ball and picked up 13 wickets during the tournament.

According to the England all-rounder, the T20 World Cup being hosted in India this year makes the upcoming IPL all the more important for players to become familiar with the conditions.

“The IPL is a fantastic tournament and we love playing in it. India is an amazing place to play cricket and it is the best T20 tournament around. It’s great as a player to be playing in it, especially with that T20 World Cup in India, it’s going to be great preparation," said Curran.

"You are playing against such quality opposition and such international stars in this tournament, there’s nothing better than game time and playing under pressure,” Curran concluded.