Sam Curran is an intriguing cricketer, one who is hard to characterise — and one England have not always seen the true value of.

The Surrey all-rounder was left out of England’s white-ball sides after the series in the West Indies in November 2024 and only forced his way back in for the T20 matches against South Africa in September last year. On the face of it, his statistics are far from eye-catching, but it is his influence in key moments, rather than sustained dominance, where Curran stands out.

England’s T20 World Cup campaign has already provided two illustrations. Against Nepal, he went for only five runs in the final over with ten required. Against West Indies in Mumbai, he top-scored in a failing chase of 197. One was decisive in victory, the other a lone hand playing a sensible innings in which he was left stranded in defeat. Together, they explain his role more clearly than any average.

Against Nepal, England — who are unchanged for Saturday’s clash with Scotland at Eden Gardens — should never have required his late composure. Yet, Harry Brook, the captain, turned to Curran without hesitation to bowl the 20th over. The 27-year-old’s miserly over of cutters and yorkers secured a four-run win to spare his side from embarrassment. His figures of one for 27 from four overs were not eye-catching, but what England needed at that time was composure and experience.

In Mumbai on Wednesday, the circumstances were more severe. West Indies posted 196 for six, their innings shaped by calculated aggression and a disciplined approach to spin. England’s reply began briskly, but unravelled through the middle overs. As wickets fell and the required run rate climbed, Curran remained.

His unbeaten 43 from 30 balls was measured in the difficult No6 role as he tried to anchor the innings and keep up with the run rate. While his innings did not alter the outcome, it underlined his value as an all-rounder to this side, using his experience of playing the IPL to find ways to score against spin on slow, turning wickets.

Across his international career, he has taken 62 T20I wickets in 69 games at an average of 27.50, with an economy rate of 8.66. These numbers are solid, but they do not show that Curran is regularly assigned the overs others would rather avoid — at the death, against batsmen who are well set, when momentum needs interrupting.

That trust was evident on the recent tour to Sri Lanka. In the opening T20I, Curran became only the second England bowler to take a hat-trick in the format, dismissing three batters in three balls to halt a late surge. Hat-tricks are statistical curiosities, but this one shifted the direction of the match England’s way and took them to an 11-run win.

With the bat, Curran averages 20.50, with a strike rate of 129.57 in IT20s, which is modest on the face of it, but he often comes in when the innings has fractured, or when acceleration is required immediately.

The third T20 against Sri Lanka offered the clearest example. England were in trouble at 60 for six, but Curran stepped up with a knock of 58, his second T20I half-century, to manage the lower order and restore composure to the innings. England reached 128 for nine and defended the target to win by 12 runs.

What Curran offers England is flexibility without structural compromise. As a left-arm seamer, he provides variation alongside England’s right-arm pace and complements their preference for spin through the middle overs. He relies less on speed than on changes of pace and angle, skills that tend to travel well on slower surfaces. With the bat, he extends the order and his presence allows England to balance their side.

None of this places him beyond scrutiny. There is inconsistency — although to some extent that goes with the territory in T20 cricket, and England may yet reconsider how frequently he is used at the death, or whether his batting position at No6 maximises his strengths.

But T20 cricket is often settled by small moments — a tight over, a partnership interrupted — and Curran’s contribution to England often lies in those moments.

The early evidence of this tournament has highlighted his value. He is not box office in the way Brook, Jos Buttler or Jofra Archer may be, and at the end of his career his statistics may not stand out, but his value, though perhaps less easily measurable, is immense.

England v Scotland

T20 World Cup, Group C
Eden Gardens, Kolkata
TV: Sky Sports, 9.30am