India vs England | Sam Curran proved that he can perform under pressure, says Kumar Sangakkara

20-year old all-rounder Sam Curran certainly announced his arrival on the global stage after his recent performance in the win against India in the series opener. Curran’s 24 and 63 in the two innings along with an impressive five wickets earned him the Man of the Match award in what was only his second Test match for the senior English team.

And former Sri Lankan skipper, Kumar Sangakkara, backed the all-rounder to shine in the future for the three lions. Sangakkara added that the youngster proved himself after his brilliant 63 under pressure ensured that England were still in contention for a win.

“He is a guy who can bat really well. He has been so impressive for Surrey. He has shouldered the burden of the opening bowler across all format. The kind of character he has shown isn’t just the testament to the hard work he is putting but also to county cricket system. In three years, he has become a player who can go out and perform under pressure,” Sangakkara said after the match.

Sangakkara also spoke about how he looked forward to seeing both brothers, Tom Curran and Sam Curran, play for the English senior team in the coming years. He opined that the brothers are extremely competitive and worked hard to earn their place in the team.

“Hopefully, he and Tom (Curran) have the opportunity to work together for England in the future but they would take a lot of pride in the way they work. They are very tough competitors which I love to see. Everything about their game and the effort they put in is about moving forward. There would be a lot of proud boys sitting in that Surrey dressing room watching him (Sam Curran) that he is a special player whom you need to handle with care. You need to make sure that he has a long career for England,” Sangakkara added.