Sam Curran Aims to Be England's Top All-Rounder in T20 World Cup

After the Three Lions collapsed to 60-6 in the dead-rubber third T20I, it was Curran's fighting 58 in 48 balls, with six fours and a six, pushed England to 128/9 and the target of 129 runs proved to be 12 runs too many for Sri Lanka, who were choked by spin duo of Jacob Bethell (4/11) and Wil Jacks (3/14) in their own backyard, bundled out for just 116 runs in 19.3 overs.

England has had a brilliant run in T20Is recently, winning 10 of 11 matches and whitewashing Sri Lanka in their home conditions. They are the team closest to matching India's form at the moment. Their victories came on rank turners, pure batting pitches, and on conditions favouring seam and swing, like against the Black Caps in New Zealand last year. But ahead of the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, they will probably hold this particular series win closest to their heart.

There have been consistent contributions across departments from players like Phil Salt and Jos Buttler, who have given explosive starts in the top order. Tom Banton is taking the responsibility in the middle order and taking the role of a finisher, and has played his role well by finishing England's innings in a destructive manner.

England's bowlers have been performing consistently with spinners at the helm in sub-continental conditions like Sri Lanka. Adil Rashid was the highest wicket-taker of the series with an average of 13.80 and an economy of 5.75. England spinners acquired 17 wickets in the three-match series vs Sri Lanka.

The player who had an amazing impact during the series, with both bat and ball, has been Sam Curran. He was brilliant throughout the series with his all-round role. Scoring 79 runs and picking three wickets. In the previous game, he made a solid 20* in 14 to take England to a successful chase with Banton scoring a fifty. With his ability to bat at crucial no.6 and his versatility to open the bowling and bowl at the death or in the middle overs, he has shown he can do it all.

"It is just trying to be flexible for the team, we have got loads of different options," Curran said of his role in Tuesday's game as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

"I know my role with the ball is going to be quite flexible, and I am pretty happy with that. Just hoping that when I do not bowl well, I can bat well, and when I do not bat well, I can bowl well. I guess that is my logic. I know this World Cup I'm going to play a role with different conditions, different roles. And I am very open to that as long as the team feels settled and the guys are confident, which [is why] I think this series was fantastic," he added.

Curran made an impact as a bowler during the first T20 World Cup in 2022, winning the 'Player of the Tournament' for 13 wickets at an average of 11.38 with a five-wicket haul to his name.

During his first and third World Cups, i.e., the 2026 T20 World Cup, he has evolved into a mature player who can adapt to the conditions and has a responsibility with the bat in the lower middle order. He is also competent with the ball, with 60 wickets at an average of 27.36 and a hat-trick to his name.

Curran has been really impactful since his return to the side following a title-winning season for Oval Invincibles in The Hundred last year, where he made 238 runs in eight innings at an average of 34.00 and a strike rate of over 176 with two fifties and took 12 wickets at an average of 19.83. In the previous nine T20Is after the Hundred campaign, he has made 173 runs in seven innings at an average of 86.5 and a strike rate of over 145, with a fifty and taken six wickets at an average of 30, with a three-fer to his name.

He has been enjoying his cricket and his roles with the bat and ball. He will be looking forward to creating an impact so that England can lift the T20 World Cup trophy for the third time. England will face Nepal in their first league game on Sunday in the iconic Wankhede Stadium in mumbai to kick off their World Cup campaign.

"I love my batting, I love my bowling. I think to be a good top-quality all-rounder, I just got to keep doing a lot of work on both my batting and bowling. And whenever the team needs me, whatever position that is in, I am hoping I can perform for England throughout this World Cup. And hopefully be sitting here, similar scenes to 2022," he said.

"It is a massively exciting flight to Mumbai. So straight on that plane, excited to get stuck into our first game against Nepal. And I guess we take one game at a time, and it's a very exciting time for every player going to the World Cup. And hopefully we can have a good couple of weeks and go really far into the tournament," he signed off.

- ANI