Sam Curran’s road to redemption: Hard work, ILT20 and a Test cricket dream

Dubai: Sam Curran isn’t dwelling on disappointment. Left out of England’s squad for the India tour and the Champions Trophy, the 26-year-old all-rounder knows there’s only one way back — train, perform, and prove his worth.

“Sport is full of ups and downs, and you just have to keep working hard. My main goal now is to try and win the ILT20 with Desert Vipers, and then, yeah, whatever happens, I’ll keep trying to score runs, take wickets, and win games for my team. And I know I can do that. I only look at the next game and I’m not worried about the future. That’s how I play my cricket,” said the star all-rounder, who has been instrumental in guiding Desert Vipers to the playoffs of DP World ILT20 Season 3 with a comprehensive win over Gulf Giants at the Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday.

Sam Curran comes from a family steeped in cricketing tradition. His grandfather, Kevin Patrick Curran, played for Rhodesia against Australia, while his elder brothers, Tom Curran, has played for England, and Ben Curran has played for Zimbabwe. His father, Kevin Malcolm Curran, was part of the Zimbabwe squad that made waves in the 1983 World Cup.

Kevin Curran troubled India in that tournament, dismissing Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Sandeep Patil before skipper Kapil Dev produced a historic 175 not out at Tunbridge Wells. Kevin fought till the end in the chase but couldn’t stop Kapil’s Devils, who went on to lift the trophy.

While his father missed the chance to win a World Cup, Sam was part of England’s T20 World Cup-winning team and still cherishes those moments.

“It was amazing. Obviously, a dream come true, looking back at those couple of years ago. It gives me great confidence that you can win the World Cup. And it’s a dream as a kid. So, great memories, and hopefully, in the future, I can win another one,” the all-rounder said.

Sam Curran is enjoying his stint with Desert Vipers, who currently lead the six-team table with 14 points. Now in his second consecutive season with the Vipers, he is impressed by the level of UAE players and believes the tournament offers them invaluable experience.

“The league is unique. With nine international players, the tournament has been incredibly strong, and it’s great exposure for the UAE players. Playing with all these international players is a great learning curve for them. The boys have been very open and eager to learn. I’m looking forward to helping them develop their careers.”

Learning never stops in cricket, especially in the fast-evolving T20 format, where bowlers must constantly adapt to avoid being predictable.

“T20 cricket is evolving very fast, and it’s really tough for the bowlers. It’s been a great challenge in the UAE league with such strong batters. You have to keep learning, keep evolving your tricks — lots of change-ups, lots of funky fields, and just keep developing. The key is to keep the batters guessing. I bat as well, so I use that to my advantage on occasions. That’s the beauty of the sport we play,” he added.

Often considered a white-ball specialist, Curran is eager to return to Test cricket and is proud to have shared the dressing room with England legends James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

“I haven’t been involved in that set-up recently. Jimmy and Stuart are legends of the game, and I was lucky enough to play with them. The Test team has been doing really well. So, I’m really looking forward to the future, and hopefully, one day I’ll be back in there.”

“For now, it’s about putting in the hard yards,” he said. “Keep training, keep performing, and the rest will take care of itself.”