IPL 2026: Kumar Sangakkara drops injury bomb on Sam Curran after RR bow out

Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara has questioned Sam Curran’s absence for 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.

Speak after Rajasthan Royals exit in Qualifier 2Sangakkara said it was disappointing to see Curran return to action in England after the franchise was 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 liked to have 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 due to a groin injury. The franchise subsequently brought in Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun Shanak as his replacement.

Sangakkara said the Royals accepted the situation when informed of the injury and praised the team for the way they responded despite losing a player of Curran’s calibre.

“Having brought in Dasun Shanaka as a replacement after being informed in good time, I think the team and everyone involved should be extremely proud of what they have 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 and strict policy around it is always a requirement and the BCCI has a strict policy on it. Injuries are a part of the game and when it comes to a serious season-ending injury, of course we understand that,” Sangakkara said.

Curran’s withdrawal came after a groin problem plagued him during England’s World T20 campaign. Speaking after being pulled out of the IPL, the 27-year-old said scans revealed enough damage to require a longer period of rehabilitation.

“It’s an injury that I’ve been struggling with a bit. It got a little bit worse over time. I went for a couple of scans and it showed reasonable damage so I had to make a tough decision. It was holding me back quite a bit,” Curran told the BBC at the time.

The England all-rounder also admitted that missing the IPL was a big hurdle.

“It was a big disappointment to miss the IPL and now I think I’m just having a rehabilitation block where I’m trying to be strong and fit whenever I can,” he said.

However, Curran’s return to Surrey before the end of the IPL season has sparked fresh debate over player availability and injury replacements.

Sangakkara pointed to the determination shown by several members of the Rajasthan Royals squad, including players who stayed with the team despite limited opportunities.

“We had quite a few injuries ourselves. We also had players like Adam Milne, Shimron Hetmyer, Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Kwena Maphaka who were there even though they didn’t get much game time. They put in the hard yards, trained, carried the team and worked as hard as anyone to support the team on this journey,” he said.

Sangakkara, without making any direct accusations, 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 policy around that is very strict now and it should stay that way. It makes sure that the contractual obligations are properly and fairly respected and I think every side of the IPL will benefit from that,” he added.

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

30 May 2026 04:01 IST