England narrowly avoided what would have been one of the most significant upsets in T20 World Cup history, scraping a four-run victory over Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium. While the win officially gets their campaign off to a successful start, the tension of the final over served as a stark wake-up call. Sam Curran, who successfully defended 10 runs in the final six balls, noted that the narrow escape was a sobering experience for the squad.
England survive Nepal scare
Curran emphasised that any lingering sense of complacency vanished during the match as Nepal’s batters repeatedly found the boundary against England’s premier bowlers. He insisted that the team would take great confidence from 'winning ugly', but admitted that a loss would have made for a 'horrible' atmosphere in the dressing room.
Reflecting on the match, the all-rounder admitted his mind drifted back to the 2016 World Cup final while he was preparing to bowl the deciding over. Determined to avoid a repeat of past English heartbreaks, he focused on precision and execution to stifle the Nepali chase. Curran’s disciplined final over ultimately ensured the points for the defending champions, but the performance left no doubt that associate nations can no longer be underestimated on the world stage.
“We take those two points and take great confidence, because it wouldn’t have been a nice dressing room this evening. I’ve played a lot of T20 cricket. When you win the close ones they’re actually the ones that give you a little boost and a bit of a smile on your face … The associate nations are getting so much better. Some of the shots in the last few overs … it’s serious stuff. You can’t underestimate these guys any more,” Curran said after the match.
Sam Curran Opens Up After Narrow Escape in T20 World Cup
England is scheduled to face the West Indies on February 11 at the Wankhede Stadium. Interestingly, even as Sam Curran prepared to bowl the high-stakes final over against Nepal, his mind was already partially on their upcoming Caribbean opponents. Specifically, he was haunted by the memory of the 2016 World Cup final, where Carlos Brathwaite famously struck four consecutive sixes off Ben Stokes to snatch victory for the West Indies.
Curran admitted that this historical precedent influenced his approach in the closing moments of the Nepal game. Determined not to suffer a similar fate, he committed to a strategy of relentless yorkers, telling his captain he would "take the hit" only if he failed to execute his lengths. This mental focus helped him hold his nerve, ensuring England secured the win before heading into their clash with the very team that inspired his last-minute caution.
“I weirdly thought of the 2016 final when Carlos got hold of Stokesy. I was thinking: ‘Well, if I execute he’s not going to hit me for six.’ I just watched his feet and thankfully executed. Those games are great to win, but wow it would have been a horrible one to lose,” he added.