England all-rounder Sam Curran has declared his side will "not fearing anything" as they prepare to face hosts India in a high-stakes T20 World Cup semi-final, despite the formidable challenge of a partisan Mumbai crowd.
The encounter marks the third consecutive T20 World Cup where these cricketing giants have met at the semi-final stage, setting the scene for a highly anticipated trilogy contest.
The teams have split the previous two semi-final encounters, with England winning by 10 wickets in Adelaide in 2022 before India claimed a 68-run victory in Guyana in 2024.
Despite India's home advantage at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Curran and several teammates are familiar with its boisterous atmosphere from their Indian Premier League stints.
"It’s an experience as a young cricketer you dream of: playing India in the semi-final of a World Cup," Curran stated.
"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. Having played in the ground many times, there’s not many unknowns.
“We’re not fearing anything and I’m sure both teams are really excited by the challenge. If the crowd are silent, England are probably going to be doing well. That’s our positive way of looking at it."
England, having played their initial group stage matches in India, return after three consecutive Super 8s victories in Sri Lanka. Despite this, the team admits they are yet to hit peak performance.
Will Jacks has been a standout, excelling with bat and ball to earn four player-of-the-match awards. Conversely, captain Jos Buttler has endured a lean patch, with just 15 runs from 27 balls in his last five innings.
Curran, however, remains steadfast in his support for his captain.
"He obviously wants more runs, but I certainly would rather have Jos Buttler in my team than be coming up against him," he remarked.
Curran anticipates a high-scoring affair, believing 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.
"(Beating India in Adelaide four years ago) is something we can hopefully model our game on. That was great memories.
“We’ve been playing really good cricket and finding ways to win. I see that as a positive. We chat around the group that we’ve all been chipping in at different times."
Curran himself has been instrumental, notably shutting down potential upsets 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, despite being player of the tournament in England’s victorious 2022 campaign, found himself out of all three England squads and out of favour with head coach Brendon McCullum just 12 months ago.
He used this period to excel in franchise leagues, evolving his game – including a distinctive mid-40mph "moon ball" – leading to his recall last summer.
Curran, also contributing valuable cameos with the bat from number six, views his time away as a beneficial refresh.
"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. Looking back now, the way things have gone, I see it as a positive.
“But I don’t want to look back at the tough times. I feel like I’m one of those guys who will be really excited and bringing out all I can for everyone."
His focus remains firmly on the present, ready to contribute to England's World Cup aspirations.
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