IPL 2023: 3 players who returned to their former franchises

The IPL 2023 auction witnessed many teams trying to fill their gaps from the last edition. Most of them succeeded in their attempt, while others missed the opportunity to find the missing piece of the puzzle. Furthermore, few franchises targeted player whom they released ahead of the auction in their bid to secure their services at a lower price. 

Some of the teams took active interest in securing the services of the players who represented them in the past or could not be a part of the 2022 season. It was also due to the respective players’ form and team combinations, which might help them to get favourable results in the forthcoming edition.

Here are three players who returned to former franchises:

1. Sam Curran

One of the finest all-rounders in white-ball cricket, Sam Curran created history in the IPL 2023 auction as he emerged as the costliest buy in the tournament history. Curran's former franchise Punjab Kings shelled out INR 18.5 crore to bring back the talented Englishman to the squad. The 24-year-old represented Punjab Kings in the 2019 season, and then played for CSK in 2020 and 2021.

One of the reasons for such a massive bid for Curran was his performance in the T20 World Cup 2022, where he bagged 13 wickets and was named the Player of the Tournament, helping England lift the title. 

In nine games for PBKS, Curran bagged 10 wickets and scored 95 runs. After releasing Odean Smith ahead of the upcoming season, PBKS certainly needed a fast-bowling all-rounder and Curran is just the perfect fit for the role.