Wankhede Stadium is bracing for a deafening atmosphere as a partisan home crowd prepares to roar for India in their T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal.
It's going to be a very quiet on Thursday night: Curran on IND vs ENG semis
Amidst the anticipation of a high-scoring shootout on March 5, England star Sam Curran is well aware that his team's mission is to silence the stands and turn the stadium 'quiet'.
"It's a fantastic stadium, obviously very iconic. I'm sure it's going to be very quiet on Thursday night. As a young cricketer, you dream of playing India in a semifinal of the World Cup. It's normally a pretty good wicket, small ground, so I'm probably expecting a really high-scoring game," Curran said at the pre-match press conference.
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Despite the defending champions facing a formidable Indian side, Sam Curran remains undaunted by the upcoming challenge. He emphasised that England will not be intimidated by the occasion, noting that their squad possesses extensive experience playing in Indian conditions. With the majority of the English roster having faced India frequently, both in international matches and during various IPL seasons, the team feels well-prepared for the environment they will face.
Curran expressed a sense of fearless excitement ahead of the Thursday night clash, stating that his side is looking forward to the high-stakes pressure. He noted that while India is undoubtedly a high-quality opponent, England is focused on delivering a 'perfect game' to secure their spot in the final.
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'4 best teams are in the semis, we'll see who takes that trophy'
The left-arm seamer also touched upon the composition of the final four, pointing out that three of the semifinalists are from outside the Indian subcontinent. Curran attributed this trend to the importance of adaptability, suggesting that the teams who have most successfully adjusted their tactics and skill sets to local conditions are the ones left standing in the tournament.
"This tournament for us has been a little bit of a challenge in terms of (how) we've come across so many different conditions, playing in Sri Lanka and obviously a couple games here and in Kolkata. We've adapted extremely well. You'd probably say that the non-subcontinental teams have adapted really well to I guess the conditions thrown at them. And major credit for it goes to the melting pot that is the IPL," he added.
"All of us play a lot of cricket in India now, so we know how to play on these grounds and we know what to expect and the IPL, no question, has helped a lot of that with the players. South Africa, New Zealand (are) fantastic teams and we're a really good team as well. And of course, India. I think probably the four best teams are in the semifinals and we'll see who takes that trophy," Curran concluded.