He took 1 for 27 in four overs against Nepal.
It has only been two days since the T20 World Cup 2026 began and the fans have been treated to some thrilling moments. Sam Curran was in the thick of action on Sunday, highlighting why Rajasthan Royals should include him in the playing XI in the upcoming IPL 2026.
Check out every squad for the T20 World Cup 2026
On Sunday, the England T20 World Cup 2026 chances were in serious jeopardy after they found themselves in a horrible position against Nepal. The ghosts of the past upsets against weaker sides were creeping in but Sam Curran delivered a performance that showed why he is a player of big moments.
When the lights were the brightest, it was Sam Curran who showed cajones under immense pressure. England were staring at a defeat in their opening game of the T20 World Cup 2026, with Nepal needing only 10 runs to win in the final over.
The Harry Brook-led side was in a winning position two overs earlier when the ‘Cardiac Kids’ needed 46 runs from three overs. But Jofra Archer then conceded 22 runs in his over with three sixes, giving the momentum back to Nepal. Luke Wood was tasked with the penultimate over but he ended up conceding 14 runs.
When the two bowlers with much better pace in their arsenal failed, Curran stepped up and bowled a magnificent over. He kept targeting the block hole, and made it harder for Nepal batters to get under the ball. It was an excellent display of death overs bowling to save England from a humiliating defeat.
Earlier, Nepal had kept up with the required rate until the left-arm pacer dismissed Dipendra Singh Airee, who was taking the game away. Curran returned with figures of 1 for 27 in four overs.
“I was very nervous – extremely nervous. My heart was thumping. But I had confidence in Sam Curran. He’s defended situations like that before, and he did it brilliantly again today. His yorkers were excellent, and he executed under pressure,” said the ‘Player of the Match’ Will Jacks in the post-match presentation.
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Sam Curran was traded in by Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2026 as part of the Sanju Samson-Ravindra Jadeja swap. But his spot in the playing XI isn’t as straightforward. They have Shimron Hetmyer, Jofra Archer, and Donovan Ferreira as three certain starters.
The fourth spot could be a toss-up between Kwena Maphaka, Nandre Burger, Adam Milne, and Curran. One of the biggest weaknesses for Rajasthan Royals over the years has been their death overs bowling. Archer is usually terrific with the new ball but leaks runs at the back end.
Maphaka has shown glimpses of being good in slog overs but lacks experience. None of their other options are great in this regard either. Which makes Curran a solid asset to the team.
Sam Curran lacks the pace, sure, but he has the control and can repeatedly nail the yorkers. He also has a sharp bouncer and is a very smart bowler. Not to forget his batting value, as he is perfectly capable of providing a quick finish or rebuilding the innings. Rajasthan Royals can use him as a death overs specialist with the ball and as a floater with the bat.
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