Kolkata, April 2 - England all-rounder Tom Curran was on Monday roped in by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as replacement for Mitchell Starc, the injured Australian pacer, ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), a statement from his county club Surrey said.
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\r\nCurran has played 51 T20 matches taking 53 wickets at an average of 27.16 and an economy of 8.25.
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\r\nHe made his Test debut during the Ashes last December, and has played two Tests, eight One-Day Internationals and six Twenty20 Internationals for England.
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\r\nStarc, rated as one of the world's finest pacers, was roped in for a whopping sum of Rs 9.4 crore and was tipped to lead the franchise's bowling attack.
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\r\n"I'm thrilled and excited to be joining Kolkata Knight Riders for the IPL," Curran was quoted as saying by the English county's website.
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\r\n"I know from chatting to other players I can learn a lot from being in that environment, skills that I hope will benefit Surrey and my chances of representing England again this year and if selected, for next year's World Cup.
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\r\n"I want to thank Alec Stewart and everyone at Surrey County Cricket Club for supporting my ambitions and allowing me this great opportunity. I can't wait to represent Surrey again when I return, hopefully with a few more tricks up my sleeve."
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\r\nStewart, the former England captain who is the director of cricket at Surrey, said: "Losing Tom to the IPL for the first part of the season is not ideal from a Surrey viewpoint but as a club we have a duty to help England and our players in achieving their goals and ambitions.
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\r\n"The experience he will gain through playing in the IPL can only help develop his game which in turn will give England a greater chance of winning the 2019 World Cup.
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\r\n"His absence from the Surrey team will allow other players on our staff to stand up, perform and grab their opportunity."
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\r\nBut the 28-year old was ruled out of the fourth Test against South Africa due to a tibial bone stress fracture in his right leg.
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\r\nKKR take on Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to start their campaign at the Eden Gardens here on Sunday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n