Sam Curran appointed Surrey T20 captain: Decoding his stats
What's the story
Sam Curran has been appointed as the new captain of Surrey's men's team for the upcoming 2025 Vitality Blast. Curran's promotion comes after his successful captaincy stints in various leagues, including Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL and Desert Vipers in ILT20. Curran's journey with Surrey started at a young age, having represented them since U15s and first captained a Surrey side at U17s.
Player quote
Curran's commitment to Surrey and future aspirations
"I am deeply honored and proud to have been appointed Surrey's T20 captain," Curran said following his captaincy appointment. "I look forward to leading our team and will do everything I can to live up to the standards and expectations that Surrey prides itself on." He added, "I am very determined to deliver trophies and try to replicate what has been achieved in the County Championship the last few years."
Leadership role
Curran's leadership journey and future goals
As per ESPNcricinfo, Curran captained Surrey for three Blast fixtures in 2023, stepping in for Chris Jordan. He has captained Punjab Kings 11 times in the IPL in 2023 and 2024. This year, he also led Desert Vipers to the final of the recent ILT20. With over 4,000 T20 runs and his maiden T20 century coming in last year's Vitality Blast against Hampshire, Curran is keen to maintain Surrey's high standards.
Stats
5 fifties as captain
As per ESPNcricinfo, Curran has played 19 T20 matches as a captain so far. He has scored 502 runs in these games at a terrific average and strike rate of 38.61 and 139.83, respectively. The tally includes five fifties with the best score of 68. With his left-arm pace, captain Curran has accounted for 15 T20 scalps though his economy (9.73) is on the higher side.
DYK
Fourth captain with this double in IPL
Last year, Curran became only the fourth player with a 50-plus score and two wickets in an IPL match as captain. He joined the likes of Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh (twice), and JP Duminy. The southpaw smashed a match-winning 63*(41) against Rajasthan Royals in Match 65. The PBKS skipper also took two wickets (2/24 in 3 overs) as RR were restricted to 144/9.
Stats
Over 4,000 runs and 250 wickets
Curran, who was last seen in the ILT20 last month, boasts a terrific T20 record. Having played 268 matches, Curran now has 4,071 runs with his average and strike rate being 23.8 and 135.15, respectively. The tally includes 24 fifties besides a ton. Five of his half-centuries have come in the IPL. He also owns 254 wickets at an economy of 8.80 (5W: 4, 5W: 4).
Information
His numbers in Vitality Blast
Coming to his numbers in the Vitality Blast, Curran has scored 1,514 runs across 79 games at 24.81 with his strike rate being 136.27 (100: 1, 50s: 11). This also includes 73 scalps at an economy of 8.36.
Track record
Curran eyes recall to national team
In 2022, Curran was England's Player of the Tournament in their triumphant ICC T20 World Cup campaign. However, despite these accolades, he has struggled since the 2023 World Cup. He wasn't part of Brendon McCullum's initial white-ball squads this year, including the recent Champions Trophy where Jos Buttler ended his England captaincy. The all-rounder would now be eager to make a national comeback.