Young England all-rounder Sam Curran is relishing his maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) stint with Kings XI Punjab who had earlier made him the most expensive overseas purchase in the auction.

The 20-year-old caught the attention of IPL franchises after his excellent displays for England in the Test series against India last year and has wasted no time in making his impact in the T20 league.

Curran was expensive on his IPL debut against Rajasthan Royals where he conceded 52 runs but he finished his spell strongly to pick up two wickets in his side’s win. In the next match, the youngster picked up a sensational hat-trick against Delhi Capitals to lead Punjab to the most dramatic of wins.

“The crowds are huge and that is something I expected coming into the tournament,” Curran told CricketNext.

“The standard of cricket is extremely high and playing with some of the world’s best players. I am really enjoying playing at the moment and just taking it one day at a time.

“Learning to play in front of such big crowds is important. The surfaces have also varied in different parts. It’s my first time playing in India so the heat and humidity has been a challenge but I hope to pick a few things from all these great players and hopefully take something back for the English season.”

Curran and Kings XI have made a strong start to the season although they were handed a 22-run defeat by Chennai Super Kings on Saturday. The franchise has so far won three of their five clashes and will next be in action on Monday when they play host to Sunrisers Hyderabad at Mohali.

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