Sam Curran

Samuel Matthew Curran, born on June 3, 1998, in Northampton, began his cricket journey showing early promise, influenced by his father, former Zimbabwe cricketer Kevin Curran. He joined Surrey’s youth ranks and transitioned to the first XI in 2015. His senior debut at 17 years and 16 days in a Twenty20 match against Kent, followed by a first-class debut against the same opponent, marked the start of a notable career. In his first-class debut, he took five wickets, becoming one of Surrey’s youngest cricketers to achieve such a milestone. He opened the bowling with his older brother, Tom Curran, taking a wicket with his fifth ball.

Curran’s career progression saw him earn an England senior call-up in 2018. He made his Test debut against Pakistan in June 2018 and quickly earned a Man-of-the-Match award for his performance against India in August 2018, contributing with both bat and ball. His ability to perform under pressure led to him being named England’s Player of the Series against India in 2018, where he scored 272 runs and took 11 wickets. His transition into Twenty20 leagues began with Kings XI Punjab in 2019, where he achieved a hat-trick.

His international career highlights include being a key member of the England team that won the 2022 T20 World Cup, where he was named Player of the Tournament for his 13 wickets at an average of 11.38 and an economy rate of 6.52. During this tournament, he also recorded the best T20I bowling figures for an English player with 5/10 against Afghanistan. In 2023, he became the most expensive player in IPL auction history, bought by Punjab Kings for INR 18.5 crore. He holds the English record for the best T20I bowling figures, 5–10 against Afghanistan in 2022. In the 2023 Cricket World Cup, Curran became the first English bowler to take a wicket off the first ball on World Cup debut.