Sam Curran Earns England Recall for T20I Series Against South Africa, Ireland

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Friday, September 5, announced the return of all-rounder Sam Curran to the national side for the upcoming three-match T20I series against South Africa, followed by another three games against Ireland.

Curran last featured for England during the tour of the West Indies in November 2024, but has since been absent from international duty under head coach Brendon McCullum. The 26-year-old replaces Ben Duckett for the South Africa fixtures and comes in for Matthew Potts in the Ireland leg. Potts, meanwhile, has been released to represent Durham in the final rounds of the County Championship.

While these T20Is offer England a chance to fine-tune their white-ball combinations ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup, they also provide Curran an important opportunity to push for a limited-overs comeback. With Jamie Overton stepping away from red-ball cricket, Potts will also be seen as a contender for a spot in the Ashes squad later this year.

Curran has previously proved his worth with both bat and ball in Test cricket, most memorably during the 2018 series against India where his all-round heroics earned him the Player of the Series award. Since then, however, his involvement in the longest format has been limited due to injuries and workload management.

The left-handed all-rounder comes into the national setup in solid form. Across The Hundred and the T20 Blast this season, Curran has scored over 600 runs at a strike rate above 150 in 24 matches. With the ball, he has also taken 33 wickets, reaffirming his reputation as a genuine three-dimensional cricketer capable of delivering in all phases of a T20 game.

For Curran, this recall is more than just a white-ball assignment. He will want to prove himself as a reliable limited-overs specialist to help England find their ground in the shorter formats.

England squad vs South Africa: Harry Brook, Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Luke Wood.

England squad vs Ireland: Jacob Bethell (C), Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jos Buttler, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Luke Wood.