Sam Curran Embraces Flexible Role as England Hit Peak Form Ahead of T20 World Cup

England head into the T20 World Cup in formidable form, and allrounder Sam Curran has emerged as one of the side’s most influential performers during their dominant build-up. Fresh from a comprehensive 3-0 whitewash of Sri Lanka away from home, Curran said he is relishing the flexibility of his role as England fine-tune their combinations for the global event.

While India may enter the tournament as favourites, England’s recent record underlines their own credentials. The defending champions have won 10 of their last 11 T20Is, thriving across vastly different conditions — from slow, turning tracks to high-scoring surfaces — and drawing contributions from throughout the squad.

Curran was central to England’s success in Sri Lanka. His match-winning 58 off 48 balls in the third T20I earned him the Player-of-the-Match award as England posted a defendable total of 129 on a sluggish pitch. Earlier in the series, his unbeaten 20 helped guide England home in the second match, while a hat-trick in the opener underlined his impact with the ball.

The 25-year-old’s ability to adapt has made him a vital cog in England’s plans, whether opening the bowling, operating at the death, or being introduced later in the powerplay. Curran said he is comfortable with the uncertainty that comes with such a role.

“It’s just trying to be flexible for the team,” Curran said. “I know my role with the ball is going to be quite flexible and I’m pretty happy with that. I’m just hoping that when I don’t bowl well, I can bat well, and when I don’t bat well, I can bowl well.”

England’s spin attack, in particular, has stood out during the series. Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson, supported by part-time options Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell, played a decisive role, especially in the series finale where spinners accounted for nine of Sri Lanka’s 10 wickets — the most by England in a T20I. Defending 129, England registered their lowest successful defence in the format.

“I thought our spinners can take huge confidence from that,” Curran said. “All four of them bowled exceptionally well. Those wins are always fun, especially when you see the ball turning big.”

Curran’s responsibilities have also evolved since England’s triumph at the 2022 T20 World Cup, where he featured primarily as a bowler. Now batting at the crucial No. 6 position, he believes his growth as an allrounder has been driven by experience and exposure to franchise cricket around the world.

“I feel like I’ve been playing a lot of cricket now, learning every day and adapting to different conditions,” he said. “I love my batting, I love my bowling. To be a top-quality allrounder, I’ve got to keep working hard on both.”

England depart for India on Wednesday and will begin their World Cup campaign against Nepal in Mumbai on Sunday. Curran said the squad is brimming with excitement as they turn their focus to the tournament ahead.

“It’s a massively exciting flight to Mumbai,” he said. “We’ll take one game at a time, but it’s a very exciting time for every player going to the World Cup.”