Sam Curran named as Surrey T20 captain

Curran, who has represented Surrey since U15s and first captained a Surrey side at U17s, was England’s player of the match and tournament when they won the T20 World Cup in 2022, but has been out of favour since the 2023 World Cup. He was not selected for Brendon McCullum’s initial white-ball squads this year, including the recent Champions Trophy in which Jos Buttler’s tenure as England captain ended.

He captained Surrey for three Blast fixtures in 2023, standing in for Chris Jordan, whom he is now succeeding full-time. He has led Punjab Kings on a total of 11 occasions in the Indian Premier League in 2023 and 2024. This year he also captained Desert Vipers to the final of the recent ILT20.

Curran has scored over 4,000 T20 runs and made his first T20 century in last year’s Vitality Blast against Hampshire at the Kia Oval. With the ball, he has over 250 T20 wickets with his left-arm seam and swing.

He was named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2019, and has represented England more than 120 times across all formats since making his debut in 2018.

“I am deeply honoured and proud to have been appointed Surrey’s T20 captain,” Curran said. “It is a privilege to lead such a great group of players and to continue representing this iconic club.

“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.

“I am very determined to deliver trophies and try to replicate what has been achieved in the County Championship the last few years to make the Members and fans proud.”

Surrey’s High Performance Cricket Advisor, Alec Stewart said: “I’d like to thank Chris Jordan for his three years as captain of the T20 side. He led the team to consecutive appearances at Finals Day and will remain a key part of the side on and off the field. CJ is one of the most senior players in the team and is greatly respected by everyone at the Club.

“This is the right time for Sam to take over as the captain with where he’s at in his career. It’s a great opportunity for him to put his mark on the team and help to take us that one step further to deliver silverware. Sam has shown his leadership qualities already both at Surrey and in the IPL and he will bring a huge amount to the role.”

Surrey’s first Vitality Blast fixture at the Kia Oval this year is on Thursday, June 5 when they take on Hampshire in a double-header matchday.