Connect with us

Sports

Sam Curran driven by memories of Ben Stokes meltdown in key final over

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Sam Curran revealed his mind drifted back to Ben Stokes and the 2016 T20 World Cup final before his last-over heroics rescued England from humiliation in Mumbai on Sunday.

Following the Ashes debacle and Harry Brook’s off-field drama, England’s miserable winter threatened to take another downturn as minnows Nepal required just 10 off the last six balls to claim a shock win.

But Curran, thinking about Stokes being thumped for four successive sixes by Carlos Brathwaite in the final over as the West Indies snatched a famous victory a decade ago, held his nerve by nailing his lines and lengths.

Roared on by thousands of Nepalese fans at a raucous Wankhede Stadium, Lokesh Bam had to hit a six off the last ball after being frustrated by Curran but could only hit a single as England won by four runs.

Curran said at the presentation ceremony: “I said to Brook ‘I’m backing six yorkers here and I’ll take the hit if I don’t execute’. I think you’ve got to think like that.

Advertisement

“I weirdly thought of the 2016 final when Carlos got a hold of Stokesy and I was thinking ‘if I execute, he’s not going to hit me for six’.

“(At the) top of my mark I just watched his feet and thankfully I executed. Those games are great to win but wow, it would have been a horrible one to lose.

“It just shows how competitive this World Cup’s going to be. We knew it was going to be full of Nepal fans. I played a lot of cricket in India and I’ve never had an atmosphere quite like that.”

England starting their tournament with a win – their 11th in 12 completed T20s – was built on a total of 184 for seven, underpinned by fifties for Brook and Jacob Bethell, plus Will Jacks’ cameo 39 off 18 balls.

Advertisement

But the ultra-reliable Adil Rashid failed to take a wicket for the first time in 25 T20s and was uncharacteristically expensive with figures of 3-0-42-0, while Jofra Archer’s final over disappeared for 22.

Liam Dawson, playing his first World Cup match, impressed with two for 21 before Curran had the final say in a back-and-forth contest, leaving Bam on his haunches after making 39 not out off 20 balls.

Jacks, who also took one for 17, said: “Winning ugly is a great trait. It’s incredibly difficult to replicate that experience.

“Hopefully when we get in that situation in the rest of the tournament – which we definitely will at some stage – we’ll be able to look back on this experience and take that with us.

Advertisement

“I was very nervous, my heart was thumping on the boundary. But I had confidence in Sam, he’s done that job quite well. Credit to him, it was brilliant how he nailed his yorkers and held his nerve.”

England began their campaign 16 years ago with a shock loss to the Netherlands but captain Brook and head coach Brendon McCullum have avoided that ignominy, with both of their jobs under scrutiny.

McCullum has been criticised for how England planned and prepared for the 4-1 Ashes defeat but he was shown relaying instructions on to the field during Nepal’s chase on a walkie talkie – a practice that Jacks said started earlier this winter.

Jacks added: “It’s so messages can get run out to the captain or to the guys who are batting in the middle. It’s just an easier way of spreading the message.”

Advertisement

Source link

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

DLCs, age restriction, and more

Published

4 minutes ago

on

10 March 2026

By

Even though GTA 6 is coming out in 2026, GTA Online is still a great game to get into this year. Since it was released in 2013, Rockstar Games has grown the game into the massive multiplayer playground it is today. Everyone can find their niche gaming hobbies in GTA Online, from racing, deathmatches, role-playing, and even harmless, hilarious game modes.

However, if you are entering GTA Online for the first time in 2026, you must know certain details for a smooth entry into its world. Here are some of the details.

What you need to know before starting GTA Online in 2026

Age restriction in some regions

Advertisement

Firstly, it is worth noting that GTA Online is an 18+ video game, especially since it has nudity and violence. Recently, many countries have imposed strict rules for verifying age for accessing any kind of online content. This also includes GTA Online.

In August 2025, the UK was one of the first countries to make age verification mandatory for online content, under the Online Safety Act. In March 2026, Australia also mandated age verification for any entertainment product that contains adult content.

Hence, if you want to start GTA Online, chances are that you might need to verify your age through a third-party portal. The portal can differ from country to country.

Also Read: GTA Online will now require age verification for some countries

Advertisement

Past and future DLCs

A Safehouse in the Hills is the latest DLC (Image via Rockstar Games)A Safehouse in the Hills is the latest DLC (Image via Rockstar Games)
A Safehouse in the Hills is the latest DLC (Image via Rockstar Games)

Rockstar Games has added loads of DLC to GTA Online, almost twice every year since its release. Each of these DLCs has included new cars, weapons, businesses, missions, and even characters. These new features keep players hooked, especially those who have businesses or heists with decent payouts, like the Cayo Perico heist.

Most recently, A Safehouse in the Hills DLC dropped in December 2025, in which mansions were added to the game, along with Michael De Santa as a side character. Because of these two features alone, it is considered one of the best DLCs for the game.

Since GTA 6 will release on November 19, 2026, there is still time for a final DLC for GTA 5 Online in the summer. If you are planning to start the game in 2026, you could start grinding to get a mansion, which could play a key part in the last DLC coming sometime in the summer.

Which businesses to own

Kosatka is one of the best vehicles to own since it enables Cayo Perico Heist (Image via Rockstar Games || GTA Wiki)Kosatka is one of the best vehicles to own since it enables Cayo Perico Heist (Image via Rockstar Games || GTA Wiki)
Kosatka is one of the best vehicles to own since it enables Cayo Perico Heist (Image via Rockstar Games || GTA Wiki)

Once you start GTA Online, you can be overwhelmed by the number of businesses and properties you can purchase. There are a total of two in-game websites from which you purchase businesses. For a new player, here are some of the best properties/vehicles to purchase and start earning money quickly:

  • Brickade 6×6 – Acid Lab
  • MC Business – Meth Lab
  • Kosatka – Cayo Perico Heist
  • Salvage Yard – Salvage Yard Robberies

Of course, there are various other great properties that can be a bit expensive, but are lucrative for slightly late-game grind, like Bunker, Nightclub, Agency, etc.

Which vehicles to own

A few vehicles can be quite useful early in the game (Image via Rockstar Games || Sportskeeda)A few vehicles can be quite useful early in the game (Image via Rockstar Games || Sportskeeda)
A few vehicles can be quite useful early in the game (Image via Rockstar Games || Sportskeeda)

GTA Online has a wide variety of vehicles. You can use anything from a bicycle to massive fighter jets and submarines. If you are new to the game, you can check out these vehicles to purchase:

  • Karin Kuruma (Armored) – Fast and armored sports car
  • Nightshark – Heavy-duty SUV with a ton of armor
  • Buzzard – Great cheap helicopter to fly around the map
  • Kosatka – Submarine that allows you to start Cayo Perico Heist

Griefers and hackers in GTA Online

You can encounter loads of griefers and hackers (Image via Rockstar Games || GTA Wiki)You can encounter loads of griefers and hackers (Image via Rockstar Games || GTA Wiki)
You can encounter loads of griefers and hackers (Image via Rockstar Games || GTA Wiki)

If you are entering GTA Online in 2026, you should know that the game is heavily plagued by griefers and hackers. Even though Rockstar Games has partnered with BattleEye anti-cheat software, some tech-savvy enthusiasts create hack tools that can bypass it. Furthermore, there are some players who simply create chaos for others in lobbies.

Hence, if you are new to the game, it is best to do all the major business missions in an invite-only lobby.

Check out our other content:

Advertisement