Rajasthan Royals’ disappointing IPL 2026 Selection 2 campaign has ended, but the head coach Kumar Sangakkara’s post-match comments sparked renewed debate about the player’s availability and commitment. After the elimination of the Royals, the first Sri Lanka the captain expressed his disappointment Sam CurranAfter the absence of the tournament, England was seen playing for the versatile Surrey when it continues A T20 blast despite being out of the IPL earlier due to injury.
Sangakkara’s comments have raised questions about the circumstances surrounding Curran’s exit and whether franchises deserve more clarity when overseas players are ruled out of major tournaments.
Kumar Sangakkar questions Sam Curran’s absence from IPL 2026
Ahead of IPL 2026, Rajasthan Royals secured Curra’s services in a trade deal. Chennai Super Kingsa move expected to significantly strengthen their squad. Next to it Ravindra JadejaCurran was viewed as one of the central figures in the franchise’s plans for the season.
However, shortly after the T20 World Cup, Curran informed the Royals that he would miss the rest of the IPL due to a groin injury. Rajasthan was introduced later Dasun Shanaka as a substitute. Speaking after the Royals’ performance, Sangakkara admitted that the franchise was disappointed to see Curran return to action in England while the IPL season was still underway.
“We’ve been told that Sam Curran has a season-ending injury. But I think I saw him play two or three games at Surrey. It was disappointing. We’d love to have him here for us.” Sangakkara said in a press release after the match.
The former Sri Lankan captain explained that Rajasthan had planned their season around having a player of Curran’s calibre. Although he praised Shanaka’s efforts after joining midway through the campaign, Sangakkara revealed that losing Curran was a significant setback for the franchise.
“But I think (it was good) to have Dasun Shanaka instead when we were told early.” Sangakkara added.
The reason why Curran is not available
Curran had previously expressed concern about his injury when speaking about his decision to pull out of the tournament. England’s all-rounder revealed he managed the problem for a while before medicals revealed enough damage to force him to make a tough call.
“It’s an injury that I’ve been struggling with a bit. It’s been getting worse and worse. I’ve had a few scans and it’s showing reasonable damage, so I’ve had to make a tough decision.” Curran said.
The Surrey captain further explained that the injury was affecting his performance and the time away from the IPL was necessary to focus on his recovery.
“It was very disappointing to miss the IPL. I just have a rehab block to try to get stronger and be fit when I feel right. It will be difficult to watch the IPL because I know I would have liked to be there, but injuries are part of the sport.” he added.
Interestingly, although Curran is among the leading run-scorers in the T20 Blast and captains Surrey, he is yet to feature in a competition that shows he can handle the workload.
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Sangakkara supports BCCI’s tough policy
While discussing the broader issue of player withdrawals, Sangakkara supported the BCCI’s strict rules on players withdrawing from the game after being selected in the auction. The Royals coach admitted that injuries are an inevitable part of professional sports and the franchise understands when players suffer real setbacks late in the season. However, he stressed that the commitments made to the teams should be fulfilled wherever possible.
He also praised several foreign players in the Rajasthan set-up who remained in the team despite getting limited opportunities during the season. The RR coach concluded by stressing that BCCI’s rules must remain strict to ensure professionalism and accountability across all franchises.
“I think a proper strict policy around that is always required. And the BCCI has a strict policy on that. We have players like Adam Milne, Hetmyer, Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Kwena Maphaka. They have been here, they have done the tough pitches, they have trained, they have really supported the team and given everyone a lot of support for this. I think every side in the IPL will benefit from that, to make sure that the contractual obligations are fulfilled properly and honestly. must continue to be serious. Sangakkara further added.
