Rajasthan Royals’ gloomy ipl 2026 The campaign ended in Qualifier 2, but head coach Kumar SangakkaraThe post-match comments have sparked a new debate over the player’s availability and commitment. After the elimination of Royals, former Sri Lanka Captain expressed disappointment Sam CurranThis England all-rounder was seen playing after being out of the tournament. Surrey in progress t20 blast Despite withdrawing from the first IPL due to injury.
Sangakkara’s comments have raised questions about the circumstances of Curran’s exit and whether franchises deserve more clarity on overseas players pulling out of major competitions.
Kumar Sangkar questions Sam Curran’s absence in IPL 2026
Ahead of IPL 2026, Rajasthan Royals acquired the services of Curran through a trade deal Chennai Super KingsA move that was expected to greatly strengthen his team. Together Ravindra JadejaCurran was seen as one of the central figures in the franchise’s plans for the season.
However, soon after the T20 World Cup, Curran informed the Royals that he would miss the remainder of the IPL due to a groin injury. Later brought to Rajasthan Dasun Shanaka As a replacement. Speaking after the Royals’ exit, Sangakkara admitted that the franchise was disappointed to see Curran return to action in England when the IPL season was still going on.
“We were told Sam Curran had a season-ending injury. But I think I’ve only seen him play for Surrey for two or three games. So that was disappointing. We would have liked him to have played for us.” Sangakkara said in the press conference after the match.
The former Sri Lanka captain explained that Rajasthan had planned their season around providing a player of Curran’s calibre. While he lauded Shanaka’s efforts after joining midway through the campaign, Sangakkara made it clear that losing Curran was a significant blow to the franchise.
“But I think having Dasun Shanaka as a replacement when we were already told (it was good)” Added Sangakkara.
Reason behind Curran’s unavailability
Curran had previously addressed his injury concerns when speaking about his decision to leave the tournament. The England all-rounder revealed that he had been struggling with the problem for some time, but medical scans showed so much damage that he was forced to take a difficult decision.
“It’s an injury I’ve been struggling with a bit. It’s slowly got partially worse. I went for some scans and it showed a fair amount of damage, so I had to make a tough decision.” Curran said.
The Surrey captain further explained that the injury was affecting his performance and it was necessary to step away from the IPL to focus on recovery.
“It was very disappointing to miss the IPL. I have a rehab block of trying to get strong and fit as long as I can. It will be hard to watch the IPL because I know I would love to go there, but injuries are part of the game.” He added.
Interestingly, although Curran has been one of the leading run-scorers in the T20 Blast and has also captained Surrey, he is yet to bowl in the competition, which suggests he is still managing his workload.
Sangakkara supports BCCI’s strict policy
Discussing the broader issue of players withdrawing names, Sangakkara supported BCCI’s strict rules regarding players withdrawing names after being selected in the auction. The Royals coach admitted that injuries are an inevitable part of the professional game and the franchise understands when players face real setbacks towards the end of the season. However, he stressed that commitments made to teams should be honored wherever possible.
He also praised the many foreign players in the Rajasthan setup who remained with the team despite getting limited opportunities during the season. The RR head coach concluded by stressing that BCCI rules must remain strict to ensure professionalism and accountability across all franchises.
“I think there is always a need for a reasonably strict policy on this. And the BCCI has a strict policy on this. We also have players like Adam Milne, Hetmyer, Luan-Dre Pretorius and Kwena Mafaka. They have come here, they have worked hard, they have practised, they have delivered water for the team and they have really worked as hard as anyone else to support the team on this journey. I think every side in the IPL needs a lot more from this. This is the approach that must be taken very strictly to ensure that contractual obligations are fulfilled properly and honestly. Sangakkara further said.
