SamCurran

The left-arm seaming all-rounder from England made his international debut in the year 2018. Known for his ability to swing the ball into the right-hander, Curran has been a regular fixture for the English Test squad.

Hailed as a prodigy in his younger days, Curran rose rapidly through Zimbabwe under-13 ranks. His family relocated to Surrey and he became the youngest debutant for Surrey at the age of 17. He was picked in the England squad for the 2016 Under-19 World Cup, where he amassed 201 runs in 6 matches and took 7 wickets in the tournament.

Curran was fast-tracked quickly by the selectors and was drafted into the Test squad to face Pakistan in 2018. 

However, his crowning moment came in the home series against India in the very same year. He was picked primarily as a bowler, but it was his all-round abilities that impressed everyone. Time after time he rescued England from a middle-order collapse and to no one’s surprise, Curran was adjudged Player of the Series for his scintillating performance. The all-rounder scored 272 runs and took 11 wickets, which saw England beat India 4-1. 

He continued his form in the away Test series against Sri Lanka, where he scored 114 runs in two Test matches as England white-washed the Islanders.

Curran was named the Cricket Writers’ Club 'Young Cricketer of the Year' for a stellar 2018 season.

For his impressive performance in the year 2018, Curran was called up to England’s T20I squad to play against New Zealand in 2019. His T20I debut didn’t go as per the plans, as the young pacer took just 1 wicket and gave away 33 runs and was wayward with his line and length throughout the innings.

After some impressive numbers at the international level, Curran caught the eyes of several IPL franchises and was bought by Punjab Kings in the player auction for the 2019 Indian Premier League for INR 7.20 crore. 

Curran picked up 10 wickets with a hat-trick playing nine matches and scoring 95 runs. KXIP released Curran for the 2020 season and he was bought by CSK for Rs 5.5 crore. 

The all-rounder was used as a pinch hitter by CSK last season, and he gave them good starts but failed to convert them into big one’s. He accumulated 141 runs in 14 matches and also took 13 wickets in the tournament.

Sam Curran is certainly the future of England cricket. His ability to swing the ball away from the right-hander has garnered praise from the cricketing fraternities. He’ll be looking to have a great IPL this season, as a good performance will surely cement his place regularly in the England T20 setup.

(As of March 2021)