News DeskDubai: The Desert Vipers have announced the return of England all-rounder Sam Curran for the upcoming Season 3 of the DP World ILT20. Curran, who was instrumental in England’s 2022 ICC T20 World Cup victory and earned the Player of the Tournament accolade, previously joined the Vipers for two matches at the end of last season. His re-signing underscores the franchise’s commitment to reclaiming the form that led them to the finals in the inaugural edition of the tournament.
Tom Moody, the Desert Vipers’ Director of Cricket, expressed enthusiasm about Curran’s extended involvement:
“We are obviously the recipients of a high-quality player, and it is great that he feels the Desert Vipers is a home for him where he can apply his trade and hopefully help us achieve what we are looking to achieve as a franchise.”
Curran, 26, boasts extensive international experience. Over the past two years, he has been England’s third-highest wicket-taker in Twenty20 Internationals. Since his international debut in a Test match against Pakistan in 2018, Curran has accumulated 1,574 runs and 134 wickets across all formats for England. His versatility has also been showcased in various short-form tournaments worldwide, including stints in India, South Africa, and England. Notably, in the Indian Premier League, he stepped in as captain for the Punjab Kings during the 2024 season when Shikhar Dhawan was sidelined due to injury.
While the captaincy decision for the Desert Vipers remains pending following Colin Munro’s departure, Moody emphasized Curran’s potential leadership role:
“With regards to his captaincy experience and what he has done in the IPL with the Punjab Kings and what he has done elsewhere, he will play an important leadership role within the group… The thing that he just brings naturally is that he is an instinctive leader. So we will all lean on that experience, and he is willing to be an important voice as the tournament unfolds.”
The DP World ILT20 is set to continue with the impact substitute rule in its second season, allowing teams to replace a player at any point during a match. This rule has influenced team strategies, particularly in balancing specialist batters and bowlers. Despite this, Moody expressed confidence in Curran’s comprehensive all-round capabilities:
“Sam Curran is one of those unique all-rounders that plays a complete all-round game, and what I mean by that is that he can take the new ball, he can bowl effectively in the middle overs, and he is well-versed when it comes to bowling at the death, which is such a critical component when it comes to any team. With the bat, he is versatile as he can fit in anywhere from one to seven and can be very effective in all those roles. And finally, being a left-hander, it just adds an extra dimension in his role in the side where we can move him up and down the batting order according to the situation.”
The schedule for Season 3 of the DP World ILT20 is expected to be announced soon. In the interim, teams are finalizing their UAE player selections through the ongoing DP World ILT20 Development tournament in Dubai. Moody expressed satisfaction with the team’s preparations and acquisitions ahead of the upcoming season:
“Our preparation for season three began months ago with regards to recruitment and finding the right balance for the squad and player availability for the January–February window, and we are very happy with the recruiting process and who we have on board. We are very excited to be competing in season three in 2025, with some familiar faces and also some new faces to represent the Desert Vipers.”
In addition to Curran, the Desert Vipers have bolstered their squad with key signings, including Pakistan’s top-order batter Fakhar Zaman, former England under-19 captain Max Holden, England seam bowler David Payne, and New Zealand speedster Lockie Ferguson. They join a roster featuring star all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga from Sri Lanka, Pakistan left-armer Mohammad Amir, wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan, and Alex Hales, who was the leading run-scorer and maker of the tournament’s first hundred in Season 1. UAE players Ali Naseer and Tanish Suri have also been retained, highlighting the team’s blend of international and local talent.
