On an April evening in 2019 at the Wankhede Stadium, Kieron Pollard was on the rampage. Every time Sam Curran, then just 20, ran in to bowl, one could almost sense the next six coming. Six of Pollard’s 10 sixes were hit off Curran’s left-arm medium-pace, which cost 54 runs in four overs.
It was Curran’s maiden Indian Premier League season for then Kings XI Punjab and though he tried hard, he just didn’t have the pace and variations to escape punishment on a small ground.
Three years later in the T20 World Cup, he has become England’s go-to death bowler, conceding a mere 34 runs from 41 deliveries in the last-four-over stage. In must-win games against New Zealand and Sri Lanka, Curran bowled two miserly overs each at the death, taking the crucial wicket of Glenn Phillips and giving away a solitary boundary across those four overs, that too an inside edge from Wanindu Hasaranga. So well has he made the transition from being a primarily Powerplay swing bowler to a versatile T20 operator that he has kept veteran death-overs specialist Chris Jordan out of the England XI.
England’s Sam Curran appeals for a wicket during the T20 World Cup cricket match between England and New Zealand in Brisbane, Australia, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)
Curran had spent a couple of seasons at Chennai Super Kings after his debut year at Kings XI, and his bowling coach there, former India pacer L Balaji, is “not at all surprised” by how much he has improved.
“Because more than a bowler or a batsman, I have admired him as a captaincy material. That kind of a personality was always bound to improve in the rest of the cricketing areas,” Balaji told The Indian Express, recalling how eager the all-rounder would be to contribute in team meetings.
“At CSK, with MS Dhoni and other biggies in the team, he would boldly raise his hand and contribute meaningfully in the team meetings. He would debate the plans for different batsmen, even who should bowl when, and was always very eager with cricketing chats. I think Dhoni valued and liked that attitude in Curran and has guided him quietly.”
In the UAE leg of IPL 2021, Curran had a couple of expensive games, going for 55 and 56. But he would be back in the nets with enthusiasm seeking to work on getting better, Balaji said.
“Yes, he did go for a few big overs in some games (at CSK), but immediately looked to see how to improve. He has leaked runs but that temperament means he hits the nets with great ambition to either improve the idea or come up with a new idea in the next game. As in either improve the ball that made him leak runs or come up with a new option.”
“He would be initially very upset on such days and would tell me, ‘oh! Why did I bowl that ball in that situation? I shouldn’t have.’ If I thought the ball was fine, but the execution probably wasn’t, he would listen intently. Next match day, he would try that ball again, and would come back with a smile.
“He is a quick learner and always asks questions but isn’t the type to blindly follow just because I am the bowling coach. He would ask questions: ‘Why should I do that? How will the angle help me with that particular ball? Isn’t it better if I go closer or farther from the stumps, as the case may be?’ When he is convinced with the answer, he will hit the nets with great enthusiasm.”
England’s Sam Curran is airborne as he attempts to stop the ball crossing the rope during the T20 World Cup cricket match between England and Ireland in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Back with a vengeance
Curran had missed the 2021 T20 World Cup with a stress fracture of the back and also skipped the IPL auction this year to focus on his recovery.
After making his comeback against India in July, he did well on the Pakistan tour and against Australia in October to make a solid case for a spot in England’s T20 World Cup XI.
During his rehab, Curran has worked hard on his fitness, which has helped him add some pace. “Just got a little bit stronger whilst I had my injury, and yeah, I think (after) the break, came back refreshed and eager and ready, a lot of energy… I also feel having had a consistent run in the side has really given me confidence,” Curran had said after taking 5 for 10 against Afghanistan in Perth.
“These Australian decks, obviously, my first time playing here as well, so I’m really enjoying the bounce and the pace, and you can obviously use the dimensions of the ground as well.”
The conditions and increased strength have also made Curran’s bouncer more effective, and his slower ball has in turn become a more potent variation. Balaji spoke about how much effort Curran had put in to develop different types of bouncers in his arsenal.
“I remember he wanted to master the slower bouncer, for example. He figured with the dimensions of the ground – he is always studying them and you can see it reflected in his bowling at different grounds – a slow bouncer was always a good weapon. How hard he worked at that for hours! He also likes his quicker surprise bouncer and always tests out the batsmen,” Balaji said.
“One definite area of improvement is how well he uses the crease these days. If there is no swing on offer, he will right away go round the stumps. His angles of release, both over and round, are always varying; small tweaks but effective.”
An example of this came against Sri Lanka, when Curran began the 19th over going wide outside off to Hasaranga. But when he saw the batsman shuffle across to try and reach the wide line, he went closer to the stumps and delivered yorkers at Hasaranga’s feet.
Curran has used the wide yorker to good effect in this tournament, a delivery that is hard to control with his action, according to Balaji. “With his slightly round-armish action, the wide outside-off yorker was always going to be a difficult ball to master. But he worked hard at it. Not a surprise that all these little changes – the angles, the different deliveries are all coming on perfectly now.”
Curran 2.0
According to Cricviz, Curran has been bowling more slower balls and bouncers, and also attacking the stumps more this year than he did until 2021. Curran has said that he is trying to be as adaptable as he can be, but is also fully aware that this is a format in which there will be days when nothing will come off. This flexibility to adapt, along with the itch to always be in the fight, has marked out Curran for big things ever since he was named Player of the Series against India on debut in the 2018 five-Test contest in England.
“He’s fantastic. I love his mindset,” England white-ball captain Jos Buttler had said about Curran. ‘He always wants to bowl the tough overs. He wants to take wickets. I think you just forget how young he is — we’ll see him go from strength to strength.”
Balaji concurs, and mentions Curran’s ability with the bat as well; he averages nearly 25 in Tests and strikes at 135-plus in T20s. “He is the type who wants the ball or bat under pressure. I feel he is a tremendous talent with the bat and only because of England’s long batting line-up he is batting low,” Balaji said. “With other teams, I can easily see him batting higher. He wants it. Very, very keen.”
While Curran has spoken about how playing under pressure in the IPL has aided his progress, Balaji also talks about how support from CSK fans boosted him.
“It also helped that he was so loved by the CSK fans. They would keep calling him ‘kadai kutti singham’ (the youngest lion cub). Imagine, you are a young boy coming from England and being loved by fans in another country far away. These little intangible things add to the overall confidence.”
On Thursday, though, the confident Curran will have to make do without the support of CSK fans at the Adelaide Oval in the semi-final against India.
With inputs from Sriram Veera