IPL 2023: Sam Curran termed a 'winner' by PBKS coach amid disastrous season

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Punjab Kings star all-rounder Sam Curran is backed by the PBKS coach Charl Langeveldt despite a dismal season.

Sam Curran had another disappointing outing against Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday (May 8) at the Eden Gardens. The Englishman, who was roped in by PBKS for INR 18.5 crore, got dismantled by Andre Russell in the 19th over.

Curran conceded 20 runs in the penultimate over as Russell clubbed him for three sixes in four balls. He ended up conceding 44 runs in just 3 overs as the Punjab side lost a last-ball thriller.

With his IPL record price tag, Curran has failed to live up to the mammoth investment. He so far has picked up just 7 wickets in 11 matches, with an economy north of 10. With the bat, Curran has scored 196 runs at an average of 24.

Sam Curran is a Winner: Langeveldt

But PBKS coach Charl Langeveldt showed a hand of support after the match on Monday. Speaking in the post-match media interaction, Langeveldt termed the 24-year-old as 'Winner'.

"He's a winner. You want to back him. He's our senior bowler as well, you can have days like this," Langeveldt said.

"He's one of those players who can come back and win us a game. It's just about going back to the drawing board, keep it as simple as possible," the PBKS coach added.

Choosing Ellis over Rabada was Simple

Although Curran has struggled thus far, a player who has made a name for himself is Nathan Ellis. The Australian has been the key bowler for Punjab this season, demonstrating fantastic skills both at powerplay and at the back end.

Ellis has 10 wickets in seven matches this season, and is keeping South Africa star Kagiso Rabada out of the starting lineup. And Langeveldt believes choosing Ellis over Rabada was a 'simple decision'.

"Ellis has been bowling well. He's been our go-to guy, bowls well inside the powerplay and handles pressure. It was a simple decision. I didn't even think about that and said 'okay, we need to go with Ellis', and he produced again tonight," he said.