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'If I had gone and got injured, I would've been angry at myself': England star opens up on decision to skip IPL 2022
IPL 2022: The England star spoke in detail about his decision to skip the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League.
A number of star players have skipped the Indian Premier League this year. While Chris Gayle didn't register himself for the mega auction preceding the tournament, English stars like Ben Stokes and Sam Curran didn't return for the 2022 edition as well. In addition, Jason Roy and Alex Hales – who were both bought in the auction – withdrew from the tournament citing bio-bubble fatigue. (<strong>Follow IPL 2022 Coverage</strong>)
Also read: CSK vs MI IPL match gives feeling of an India vs Pakistan contest: Harbhajan Singh
Curran had been an important part of the Chennai Super Kings squad over the past few years. In the title-winning season last year, Curran appeared in 9 matches for the side, taking as many wickets. Overall, he has appeared in 32 matches for the Super Kings, taking 32 wickets while scoring 337 runs at a strike rate of nearly 150.
However, Curran didn't take part in the IPL mega auction this year due to an injury, and the 23-year-old English star insisted that it was a “sensible thing to do.”
“I was gutted not to go to the IPL. It was hard to take, but it was the sensible thing to do – to concentrate on playing for Surrey and getting back ready to play some red-ball cricket, which is something I haven’t done for a while with Surrey," Curran said, as quoted by South London Press.
“I probably could have gone to the IPL, but the advice was for my back to heal properly. If I had gone and got injured I would have been angry at myself, and it would have been a question of rolling the dice," Curran said further.
However, the English bowler also insisted that the IPL is a great opportunity for players like him, who get to “learn” from other players throughout the tournament.
“But you learn so much from all the players there, guys who have played at that level for a long time. I certainly felt my game has improved from playing in the IPL," said Curran.
“When you go down to breakfast, you’re chatting with all these super stars and you’re constantly learning how to play in sub-continent conditions. When you play against the best you’re always being challenged."
