Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara has expressed concern over Sam Curran’s IPL 2026 exit after the England all-rounder returned to action for Surrey soon after being ruled out of the tournament with a groin injury.
Curran had left the Royals camp after being declared unavailable for the remainder of the season. Rajasthan subsequently signed Dasun Shanaka as a replacement and continued their campaign without the England international.
Sangakkara questions the situation
After Rajasthan’s defeat to Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2, Sangakkara revealed his disappointment over the development. He said the franchise had accepted the injury report and planned accordingly, only to see Curran feature in county cricket shortly afterwards.
“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, but I think having got Dasun Shanaka as a replacement when we were told early, everyone should be extremely proud of themselves.” The RR coach fumed during the press conference.
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The former Sri Lanka captain suggested that franchises deserve greater clarity when overseas players withdraw due to injuries and said, “A proper tight policy around that is always a requirement. The BCCI has a strict policy on that. Every person goes through injuries, and if it’s a serious injury, (or) a season-ending injury, of course we understand.”
KUMAR SANGKARA IS ANGRY ON SAM CURRAN
Kumar Sangakara said ️:
“We were told that Sam Curran had a season-ending injury, but I saw him play 2-3 games of county cricket for Surrey. That was totally disappointing because we would have loved to have had him here with us.”… pic.twitter.com/7gTwln4nPb
— Indian Cricket (@IPL2025Auction) May 30, 2026
While acknowledging that genuine medical concerns must be respected, he indicated that teams should have a clearer understanding of such situations, especially during the crucial stages of the tournament.
Royals end campaign on a positive note
Despite missing out on a place in the final, Sangakkara praised Rajasthan’s overall performance during IPL 2026. He lauded the efforts of the squad and highlighted the contributions of several young players who impressed throughout the season.
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The Royals came close to reaching the final after posting 214/6 in Qualifier 2, thanks largely to a stunning 96 from teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. However, Gujarat Titans successfully chased down the target, with Shubman Gill leading the charge with a match-winning century.
While Rajasthan’s title run ended in heartbreak, Sangakkara’s remarks on Curran’s availability have added a fresh talking point to the discussion around overseas player commitments and injury withdrawals in the IPL.
