The Rajasthan Royals (RR) bowed out of the IPL 2026 after Shubman Gill’s splendid century took the Gujarat Titans (GT) to the final. Following the gut-wrenching loss, RR head coach Kumar Sangakkara was in no mood to let his thoughts with himself. The Sri Lankan legend questioned Sam Curran’s decision to pull out of IPL 2026 after the England all-rounder was spotted playing county cricket for Surrey while the tournament was still ongoing.
Curran had withdrawn from the IPL following the T20 World Cup, citing a groin injury that was described to Rajasthan Royals as season-ending. The England international was expected to play a major role for RR after arriving from Chennai Super Kings in a trade deal that also involved Ravindra Jadeja. RR’s Sanju Samson went to CSK in the trade offer.
RR coach disappointed by Sam Curran
However, just weeks after leaving the IPL, Curran has been leading Surrey in the T20 Blast and is currently the tournament’s leading run-scorer. That has not gone down well with Sangakkara.
“We were told that Sam Curran had a season-ending injury. But I think I saw him playing for Surrey for two or three games now. So that was disappointing,” Sangakkara said after Rajasthan Royals’ Qualifier 2 defeat to Gujarat Titans. “We would have loved to have had him here playing for us. But I think having Dasun Shanaka as a replacement when we were told early helped us plan accordingly.”
Sangakkara is known to have a calm and collected head over his shoulders. However, the comments he made were surprising but justifiable. The public reactions from an IPL coach regarding a player who withdrew from the tournament because of injury but returned to competitive cricket before the IPL had concluded could be a bit frustrating.
Sam Curran T20 Blast 2026 stats
| Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 141 | 70.50 | 143.88 |
| Match | Date | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 26th T20 vs Hampshire | 29 May | 38 (29) |
| 11th T20 vs Middlesex | 24 May | 71 (47) |
| 7th T20 vs Lancashire | 22 May | 32 (22) |
Sangakkara backs BCCI’s strict withdrawal policy
Curran had previously explained that his groin issue had been worsening and that scans revealed enough damage to force him out of the IPL.
“It’s an injury that I’ve kind of been battling with a little bit,” Curran had said earlier this year. “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. 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.”
But Sangakkara’s comments suggest Rajasthan Royals were surprised by how quickly Curran returned to action. The Sri Lankan great also voiced support for the BCCI’s increasingly strict stance on overseas players pulling out after being bought at the auction.
“I think a proper tight policy around that is always a requirement. And the BCCI has a strict policy on that,” Sangakkara said. “Every person goes through injuries. And if it’s a serious injury, a season-ending injury, of course we understand. We’ve had quite a few injuries.”
The BCCI recently introduced regulations that can lead to bans for overseas players who pull out after being picked in the auction without valid reasons.
Under this new rule, Harry Brook and Ben Duckett are already banned from the IPL. Both players, bought by the Delhi Capitals (DC), failed to turn up for the tournament after getting picked at the IPL auctions.
In Curran’s case, he may not be facing such harsh decisions, since he was genuinely injured and only turned to play for his domestic side from May 22. Yes, he could’ve made himself available for selection but by then, RR had already signed Dasun Shanaka as his replacement. For RR’s case, they were told that Curran won’t be able to get fit before the tournament concludes. So, there are things to settle between the player and the franchise for sure.
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