As the Indian Premier League 2025 kicks off, Sam Curran from the Chennai Super Kings is ready to show what he can do. He’s aiming to make a comeback to the England team after being out of the picture since November when he played against the West Indies. Recently, he didn’t make the cut for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which led to Jos Buttler stepping down as captain after a rough start in Pakistan.
Even though Curran is mostly known for his T20 skills—he was named Player of the Tournament when England won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022—he’s also got experience in 24 Tests and 35 ODIs since he started playing for England in 2018. With Brendon McCullum now coaching all formats of the England team and a new white-ball captain about to be named, Curran sees a lot of chances ahead, especially with matches against the West Indies, India, and South Africa coming up in the summer.
But first, he’s focused on his stint in the IPL with the Chennai Super Kings, where he’ll work with Kiwi coach Stephen Fleming. Last season, the team finished fifth, and Curran hopes to help improve that this year. In a chat on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, he mentioned that if he performs well in Chennai, it could grab McCullum’s attention and help him return to the England squad.
“My main goal is to get back into the England white-ball side. I’ve never really found my spot with them,” he said. “During the Champions Trophy and the series in India, they loaded up on batters and quick bowlers. If I can nail down my role, I believe I can make a comeback. I know I need to keep scoring runs and taking wickets. I’m feeling good right now. It was tough when I got left out, but I’m still young and learning to manage the tough times better. I hope to have a solid IPL and see where that leads in the summer.
This summer, Curran will also be leading County side Surrey in the T20 Vitality Blast, which could help his chances for the T20I captain job, as McCullum has suggested England might have separate captains for ODIs and T20s in the future.
“I’m okay with whoever the captain is,” he said. “Give me some time to sort it out after what happened with Buttler’s captaincy.
Though he hasn’t worked with McCullum yet, Curran is eager to make his mark if the opportunity comes. “Baz called me when I got left out and was upfront about it, which I respected. He said I just missed out this time, but the door isn’t closed. It’s all about going out there and performing well. His honesty is something I appreciate more than the usual ‘you were just unlucky.’ Sometimes that tough love is what you need to motivate you. I’m hoping to be back in the squad by June,” he added.
