SL vs ENG 2026: Sam Curran clicks well in-time as T20 World Cup beckons

 As the T20 World Cup is set to begin on February 7, England’s recent form suggests they are arriving with serious momentum of their own. The two-time champions have won 10 of their last 11 encounters in the shortest format of the game and capped off their preparations with a dominant 3-0 away whitewash against Sri Lanka, sending a strong message ahead of the global event.

Meanwhile, all-rounder Sam Curran has emerged as one of the central figures in the series against the island nation, as his impact,

especially with the ball, was quite evident. In the final match, he also contributed with the bat to amass 58 off 45, earning himself the Player of the Match award. Additionally, he had also picked up a hat-trick in the series opener, underlining his usefulness as a vital cog in the unit.

"It’s just trying to be flexible for the team, we’ve got loads of different options. I know my role with the ball is going to be quite flexible and I’m pretty happy with that. Just hoping that when I don’t bowl well, I can bat well and when I don’t bat well, I can bowl well. I guess that’s my logic. I know this World Cup I’m going to play a role with different conditions, different roles. And I’m very open to that as long as the team feels settled and the guys are confident, which [is why] I think this series was fantastic," Curran said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

England’s bowling unit, particularly the spinners, also gained significant confidence from the Sri Lanka tour. Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson were backed up effectively by Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell, giving England a strong spin arsenal. In the final T20I, nine of Sri Lanka’s ten wickets fell to spin, England’s highest tally by spinners in a T20I, as they successfully defended a modest total of 129.

"I think to win away from home 3-0, I think that’s the lowest score we’ve defended as well, which is pretty, pretty cool to say. I think those wins are always fun when you see the ball turning big. I thought our spinners can take huge confidence from that. All four of them bowled exceptionally well. And yeah, I guess we might come across conditions like that over the next couple of weeks. And I think we’ve seen some good wickets, we’ve seen some turning wickets, so great preparation and a fantastic win," he added.

At the 2022 T20 World Cup, Curran was primarily used as a bowler. Now, heading into 2026, he carries the added responsibility of batting at No. 6, a role he embraced during the Sri Lanka series. Walking in with his side four down inside the powerplay in the final game, the youngster displayed the composure and maturity he has developed over recent years, something he attributes to extensive franchise experience.

"I feel like I’ve been playing a lot of cricket now and been on the road and playing a different lot of teams. So I’m loving my cricket, feeling really confident with my game and learning every day, adapting to different conditions. I love my batting, I love my bowling. I think to be a good top-quality allrounder, I just got to keep doing a lot of work on both my batting and bowling. And whenever the team needs me, whatever position that is in, I’m hoping I can perform for England throughout this World Cup. And hopefully be sitting here, similar scenes to 2022," the all-rounder stated.

England fly out to India on Wednesday, with their World Cup campaign beginning against Nepal in Mumbai on Sunday. They will further face Italy, Scotland and the West Indies in the remainder of their group stage fixtures.

“It’s a massively exciting flight to Mumbai. So straight on that plane, excited to get stuck into our first game against Nepal. And I guess we take one game at a time, and it’s a very exciting time for every player going to the World Cup. And hopefully we can have a good couple of weeks and go really far into the tournament.” Curran concluded.