Sam Curran's Growth as England's Main Man in the Death

A back injury in 2021 saw Sam Curran miss out on a lot of Cricket. He missed his first World Cup, an away Ashes series, and his workload became a concern as he started his comeback journey. Coming into this World Cup though, Sam Curran’s value suddenly went on the rise. With Ben Stokes retiring from ODI Cricket, Sam Curran the all-rounder is starting to be seen as an asset to groom, as his role with the bat is likely to increase in the coming days.

Prior to the World Cup, Reece Topley’s left arm seam was groomed to be a major weapon in the tournament. He played in most of the games in the lead-up to the tournament. Injury to Topley though put further responsibility on Sam Curran as England’s main left-arm seamer. After spending nearly an year recovering from his back injury, Curran made it back to the England side in full flow. With the World Cup coming up he chose to prioritize white-ball cricket, stepping away from the County Championship and sticking to the Hundred.

Known for his young look, and effort while bowling, Sam Curran is not seen as the fastest in the park. He has the ability to swing the ball, but his pace is not known to scare batters in most cases. In Australia though, this year, he is making his skills work well. Coming into the Semi-Finals, he is England’s leading wicket-taker. While defending scores in this World Cup, he becomes Jos Buttler’s man for the crunch moments.

In this tournament he has bowled a handful of deliveries in the last three overs. His numbers are remarkable in that phase as he has conceded less than six an over in that phase. Starting off as a new-ball bowler, his transition to a death specialist looks very alarming. A key factor to his growth though could be his experience. He is only 24, but Sam Curran is a regular name in franchise cricket, having carved his own niche in the IPL, when he turned up for the Chennai Super Kings couple seasons ago.

Although not express, he still has a very handy bouncer, and is improving his pace as he is starting to touch 140 KPH. His list of variations keep improving, and as a bowler Sam Curran is constantly evolving. His batting is not much in use this tournament, but his numbers in the Hundred indicate his ability to be handy in the top six going forward.

However, the next step for now is the Semi-Finals. Sam Curran is proving to be strong in the death but has a task on hand. He has faced most Indian batters alot in the IPL, but going up against Suryakumar Yadav in the death remains a daunting task. The encounter could well mark a new chapter in his career, if it goes well.