Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara has questioned Sam Curran’s absence from IPL 2026 after the England all-rounder returned to action for Surrey in the Vitality Blast, despite the franchise being informed that he had suffered a season-ending injury.
Speaking after Rajasthan Royals’ exit in Qualifier 2Sangakkara said it was disappointing to see Curran return to action in England after the franchise had been informed that the all-rounder would miss the entire season due to injury.
“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 was signed by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 2.40 crore but withdrew before the start of the season because of a groin injury. The franchise subsequently brought in Sri Lanka all-rounder Dasun Shanaka as his replacement.
Sangakkara said the Royals had accepted the situation when they were informed of the injury and praised the squad for the way it responded despite losing a player of Curran’s calibre.
“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.
The former Sri Lanka captain also backed the BCCI’s stance on player withdrawals and injuries, saying clear rules were necessary to protect the interests of franchises.
“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 came after a groin problem that had troubled him during England’s T20 World Cup campaign. Speaking after pulling out of the IPLthe 27-year-old had said scans revealed enough damage to require an extended period of rehabilitation.
“It’s an injury that I’ve kind of been battling with a little bit. It has gradually got fractionally worse. I went for a couple of scans, and it showed reasonable damage, so I had to make the tough decision. It was hindering me quite a bit,” Curran told the BBC at the time.
The England all-rounder also admitted that missing the IPL was a major setback.
“To miss the IPL was very disappointing, and now I guess I just have a rehab block of trying to get strong and fit for whenever it feels right,” he said.
However, Curran’s return for Surrey before the IPL season concluded has prompted fresh discussion around player availability and injury replacements.
Sangakkara pointed to the commitment shown by several members of the Rajasthan Royals squad, including players who remained with the team despite limited opportunities.
“We’ve had quite a few injuries ourselves. We’ve also had players like Adam Milne, Shimron Hetmyer, Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Kwena Maphaka, who have been here despite not getting much game time. They’ve done the hard yards, practised, carried water for the team and worked as hard as anyone else to support the team on this journey,” he said.
While stopping short of making any direct accusation, Sangakkara said the current BCCI regulations should remain in place.
“It’s really up to the individual player to decide whether they want to come or not, but I think the BCCI’s policy around it is very strict now, and that’s the way it should remain. It ensures contractual obligations are met properly and genuinely, and I think every IPL side will benefit from that,” he added.
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