Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa is widely regarded as one of the top spinners in white-ball cricket. While his teammates Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins secured lucrative contracts after their 2023 ODI World Cup win on Indian soil, Zampa was retained by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) but ultimately decided to withdraw from IPL 2024 due to personal reasons. Now, Zampa has shifted his focus away from franchise cricket and is eyeing a Test debut, especially after receiving a two-year contract from Cricket Australia.
Zampa made his IPL debut with the now-defunct Rising Pune Super Giants (RPS), where he recorded a remarkable performance by taking six wickets for just 19 runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)—the best figures by a spinner in the league’s history. Despite his impressive debut, Zampa was not a regular in the lineup and recalls feeling disappointed and undervalued during the auction.
Reflecting on his IPL debut, Zampa said, “I made my debut, bowled to Virat for the first time, got De Villiers out twice in two balls, and then took the six-fer in the next game. You think they’re obviously going to pick me up because of that performance. But then you go back, have a rough season, and never get that multi-million dollar payday from the IPL,” the 32-year-old shared on The Final Word Cricket Podcast.
Zampa also spoke about the emotional rollercoaster he experienced during his time in the IPL, revealing that he sometimes wanted to leave and go back home. “I had some international experience before my IPL debut, and I always wanted to be part of the IPL. But during the tournament, I went through all sorts of emotions—from being excited just to be there, to feeling sick of it and wanting to go home because I wasn’t playing,” he added.
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In his IPL career, Zampa has played 20 games and taken 29 wickets at an average of 19.24. His last appearance was in the 2023 season against Punjab Kings (PBKS), where he claimed one wicket for 26 runs in his four overs.
Despite the proliferation of franchise leagues around the world, Zampa has decided to focus on international cricket. “I was fortunate to be part of a World Cup-winning team. Moving forward, franchise cricket isn’t for me. I want to continue playing for Australia as long as I can. The feeling of success in the national team is something I crave more of. I’m fortunate to have signed a two-year contract with Australia, and that decision was made with the intention of playing every game for my country,” the New South Wales cricketer explained.
Zampa is set to return to international action when Australia tours the UK for limited-overs series against Scotland and England.