Rajasthan Royals (RR) head coach Kumar Sangakkara has expressed disappointment over Sam Curran’s absence from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, after the England all-rounder was recently seen featuring for Surrey in the ongoing T20 Blast despite being ruled out of the tournament with a reported season-ending injury.
Speaking after Rajasthan Royals’ campaign came to an end in Qualifier 2, Sangakkara revealed that the franchise had been informed that Curran would miss the entire season due to injury. However, seeing the Englishman return to competitive cricket shortly after raised questions within the Royals camp.
“We were told that Sam Curran had a season-ending injury, but I think I saw him play two or three games for Surrey. That was disappointing because we would have loved to have had him here with us,” Sangakkara told reporters.
Curran had been picked up by Rajasthan Royals for INR 2.40 crore ahead of IPL 2026. However, the left-arm seam-bowling all-rounder withdrew before the tournament began due to a groin injury. In response, the franchise signed Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun Shanaka as his replacement.
Despite losing a player of Curran’s quality before the season got underway, Sangakkara lauded the franchise and the squad for adapting quickly to the situation and putting together an impressive campaign.
The former Sri Lankan captain stated that the team accepted the circumstances after being informed about the injury and moved forward with the resources available.
“Having brought in Dasun Shanaka as a replacement after being informed early, I think the team and everyone involved should be extremely proud of what they’ve achieved,” he said.
Sangakkara also voiced his support for the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) regulations regarding player withdrawals and injury-related absences. According to him, clear guidelines are necessary to safeguard the interests of franchises that invest heavily in assembling their squads.
“A proper, tight policy around that is always a requirement, and the BCCI has a strict policy on it. Injuries are part of the game, and if it’s a serious, season-ending injury, of course we understand,” Sangakkara said.
Curran’s withdrawal from IPL 2026 came after he suffered a groin injury, an issue that had reportedly troubled him during England’s campaign at the T20 World Cup 2026 earlier this year.
While Rajasthan Royals managed to overcome the setback and make a deep run in the tournament, Sangakkara’s comments are likely to reignite discussions around player availability and the communication between franchises and international cricketers during the IPL season.
