Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Curran 'can't wait' to play under Dhoni amid virus threat

England all-rounder Sam Curran said on Tuesday (14) he still hoped to play under India great MS Dhoni in the Indian Premier League -- and get one over older brother Tom -- despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Curran, 21, was the most expensive England player in November's initial IPL auction, being sold to the Chennai Super Kings, captained by Dhoni, for £590,000 ($742,000) after a successful 2019 stint with the Kings XI Punjab.


Meanwhile the 25-year-old Tom, also of Surrey and England, was signed by the Rajasthan Royals.

But the spread of COVID-19 has led to the suspension of all major cricket worldwide.

This year's IPL was meant to start on March 29 but has now been suspended indefinetly.

But with prime minister Narendra Modi announcing Tuesday an extension of the lockdown -- the world's biggest covering over 1.3 billion people -- until May 3, there is no certainty about when, or indeed if, the 2020 IPL will take place.

"No-one knows," Sam Curran told reporters in a conference call with Tom on Tuesday.

"It (the IPL) might happen this year, it might be cancelled, but we have to follow the government guidelines."

Chennai are one of the IPL's most successful teams, having won the tournament three times before a dramatic one-run loss to Mumbai Indians in last year's final.

- 'Chennai legends' -

"I was very excited to move franchises," said Sam. "Chennai is a great franchise with all the big names and I can't wait to play under MS Dhoni.

"Hopefully I will play against Tom, hit him everywhere and then hit his stumps.

"Dhoni exudes calm," added Sam, who said only Virat Kohli, Dhoni's successor as India captain, could rival him in terms of superstar status in cricket crazy India.

"Chennai is quite an older squad so there are quite a few legends who have made it in the game," said Sam.

"Hopefully they will be looking to give tips to the younger players, so that's something I'm really looking forward to."

Sam had been preparing for a "massive" three-month stint in Asia after being selected for England's tour of Sri Lanka, which was abandoned before the start of the Test series.

Tom insisted, however, the lack of cricket was "nothing in the grand scheme of things" even though it was a "shock to the system".

Sam added: "But you have to appreciate the time off is quite refreshing.

"Hopefully I'm not one of the players who has let themselves go and comes back for the county season 10 kg too big."

- 'Dream ambition' -

The lockdown has seen several England players involved in charity initiatives, with Sam having raised nearly £10,000 for Britain's National Health Service, although he downplayed his efforts by saying "the smallest thing we can do is raise some money for the NHS".

The Currans live separately from one another and Tom, asked if he was missing seeing Sam, replied: "Nah, nice break. Only joking, of course I'm missing the man."

When cricket resumes the brothers, the sons of the late Zimbabwe all-rounder Kevin Curran, hope to fulfil a "dream" by following their Surrey predecessors Adam and Ben Hollioake as siblings playing Test cricket in the same England side.

Sam has played 17 Tests to Tom's two.

Right-arm seamer Tom said: "It would be amazing to play Tests with Sam, that's definitely a huge ambition of ours."

Sam added: "As Tom said, it's a dream.

"Any game you play for England is obviously a great privilege but I think playing with your brother or a member of your family gives it that extra special feeling."

More For You

Mamdani’s win over Cuomo reshapes NYC political landscape

Zohran Mamdani addresses supporters in Queens, New York City

Mamdani’s win over Cuomo reshapes NYC political landscape

INDIAN AMERICAN lawmaker Zohran Kwame Mamdani last week clinched the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York City, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo in what is being described as one of the most unexpected results in recent city political history.

Mamdani, 33, a state assemblyman representing Queens and a self-declared democratic socialist, stands on the brink of becoming New York’s first Muslim and Indian American mayor.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk home office

The PAC said the Home Office relies on airline passenger records to track departures but has not reviewed this data since 2020. (Photo: iStock)

iStock

MPs say Home Office unaware if foreign workers leave UK after visas expire

THE HOME OFFICE does not know whether foreign workers are leaving the UK or staying on illegally after their visas expire, according to a cross-party group of MPs.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which oversees government spending, said the department has not analysed exit check data since the skilled worker visa was introduced in 2020, the BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian author creates bilingual books to 'save languages'
Divya Mistry-Patel

Asian author creates bilingual books to 'save languages'

A Birmingham educator and author is working to save heritage languages from extinction by creating bilingual children's books that help families pass their mother tongue to the next generation.

Divya Mistry-Patel, known as Dee, has written a Gujarati-English picture book titled Mari Rang Be Range Biladi (My colourful cat) after watching children in her community lose the ability to speak their parents' language.

Keep ReadingShow less
IND vs ENG

Shree Charani of India (2R) celebrates the wicket of Amy Jones during the 2nd women's T20 match between England and India in Bristol on July 1, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

India look to clinch maiden women's T20I series win against England

INDIA will look to secure their first women’s T20I series win over England when they play the third match of the five-game series on Friday. India currently lead the series 2-0.

England will be without their captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, who has been ruled out of the match due to a left groin injury.

Keep ReadingShow less
Helldivers 2

The announcement was made during a livestream

YouTube/ IGN

Helldivers 2 coming to Xbox this August, Sony confirms

Key points

  • Helldivers 2 launches on Xbox Series X|S on 26 August 2025.
  • Sony is publishing the title on Xbox, an unusual move for the company.
  • Crossplay confirmed between Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.
  • The announcement coincides with Gears of War: Reloaded’s PS5 debut.

Helldivers 2 to launch on Xbox Series X|S this August

Sony has confirmed that Helldivers 2 will launch on Xbox Series X and S on 26 August 2025, marking a rare move by the company to release one of its games on a rival console. The announcement was made during a livestream and comes on the same day Microsoft’s Gears of War: Reloaded is set to arrive on PlayStation 5.

Developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Helldivers 2 is a co-op third-person shooter that has already achieved major success on PlayStation 5 and PC, where it launched in February 2024. The title has since sold over 12 million copies in just 12 weeks, becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game of all time.

Keep ReadingShow less