England all-rounder Sam Curran has declared his side will 'not fear anything' as they prepare to face hosts India in a high-stakes T20 World Cup semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The match marks the third consecutive T20 World Cup where the two cricketing giants have met at the semi-final stage, with the series currently tied at 1-1 after England's 10-wicket win in Adelaide in 2022 and India's 68-run victory in Guyana in 2024.
Despite the challenge of a partisan home crowd, Curran and several teammates are familiar with the atmosphere from their Indian Premier League (IPL) stints. 'It's an experience as a young cricketer you dream of: playing India in the semi-final of a World Cup,' Curran said. 'India are a quality side but we've played a lot of cricket here. We know how to play on these grounds and we know what to expect. The IPL, no question, has helped a lot of that with the players.'
England have played their initial group stage matches in India and return after three consecutive Super 8s victories in Sri Lanka, but admit they are yet to hit peak performance. Will Jacks has been a standout, earning four player-of-the-match awards, while captain Jos Buttler has endured a lean patch with just 15 runs from 27 balls in his last five innings. Curran remains steadfast in his support for Buttler, saying, 'He obviously wants more runs, but I certainly would rather have Jos Buttler in my team than be coming up against him.'
Curran expects a high-scoring affair and believes the team is poised to deliver their best. 'If there's ever a time we want to play our perfect game, it's probably Thursday night,' he said, recalling the 2022 semi-final triumph. 'That was great memories.' Curran himself has been instrumental with composed death bowling and expects a more prominent role in Mumbai, where conditions may favour him over the spin-heavy pitches of Sri Lanka.
This current form marks a significant turnaround for Curran, who was out of all three England squads and out of favour with head coach Brendon McCullum just 12 months ago. He used the time to excel in franchise leagues, evolving his game – including a distinctive mid-40mph 'moon ball' – leading to his recall last summer. 'I weirdly looked at it as a positive when I was out of the side,' he reflected. 'I felt like I developed in different areas.'
