Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara publicly expressed sharp disappointment and frustration over England all-rounder Sam Curran’s last-minute unavailability during the IPL 2026 season.
Speaking at a press conference following Rajasthan’s exit from the tournament in Qualifier 2 against the Gujarat Titans, Sangakkara revealed that the franchise had initially been informed that Curran was suffering from a "season-ending groin injury.” "We were told that Sam Curran had a season-ending injury, but I think, I saw him playing for Surrey for two games or three games now. So that was disappointing. We'd have loved to have had him here playing for us”, Sangakkara said in the interview.
The Royals executed a blockbuster trade, sending their long-time captain Sanju Samson to the Chennai Super Kings in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. Curran was intended to be a foundational piece of their starting XI.
Just days before the IPL season began, Curran officially pulled out of the tournament. The franchise was formally communicated that he had sustained a "season-ending groin injury". While Rajasthan was battling through the business end of the IPL tournament, Curran walked onto the field in England to make his competitive return for Surrey in the Vitality Blast.
Following RR’s season-ending defeat to the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2, an administrative breaking point led Sangakkara to call out the situation in the post-match press conference. Losing Curran fundamentally disrupted RR's team balance. RR hurriedly signed Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka as Curran’s replacement.
Sam Curran defends his unavailability in IPL 2026
Sam Curran defended his withdrawal from IPL 2026 by revealing that a persistent groin injury had progressively worsened during England's T20 World Cup campaign, forcing him into a necessary rehabilitation block. Speaking in an interview with the BBC, Curran explained that the decision was a "tough call" backed by official post-tournament medical scans.
He expressed deep frustration over missing out on debuting for his new franchise, the Rajasthan Royals, but emphasized that managing his body had to take priority. Curran stated that he had been actively battling the groin issue throughout the T20 World Cup. Instead of healing, the injury "gradually got fractionally worse" as the tournament progressed.
Immediately after England’s semi-final exit against India, Curran underwent medical scans. He revealed that the scans showed "reasonable damage" and that the discomfort was hindering his movements heavily on the field.
Responding to assumptions that he simply did not want to play, Curran clarified, "To miss the IPL was very disappointing… I know that I'd like to have been there, but injuries are part of sport.” When he initially pulled out of the IPL in late March, Curran explicitly noted that his return timeline was entirely symptom-dependent. At the time, he even voiced heavy doubts over whether he would be fit enough to lead or even feature for Surrey in the T20 Blast.
