Rajasthan Royals’ disappointing IPL 2026 campaign ended in Qualifier 2, but head coach Kumar Sangakkara‘s post-match remarks have sparked a fresh debate surrounding player availability and commitment. Following the Royals’ elimination, the former Sri Lanka captain expressed his frustration over Sam Curran‘s absence from the tournament after the England all-rounder was seen playing for Surrey in the ongoing T20 Blast despite earlier withdrawing from the IPL due to injury.
Sangakkara’s comments have raised questions about the circumstances surrounding Curran’s exit and whether franchises deserve greater clarity when overseas players pull out of major competitions.
Kumar Sangakkar questions Sam Curran’s absence in IPL 2026
Ahead of IPL 2026, Rajasthan Royals secured Curran’s services through a trade deal from Chennai Super Kings, a move that was expected to strengthen their squad significantly. Alongside Ravindra Jadeja, Curran 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 remainder of the IPL due to a groin injury. Rajasthan subsequently brought in Dasun Shanaka as a replacement. Speaking after the Royals’ exit, Sangakkara admitted that the franchise felt disappointed after seeing Curran return to action in England while the IPL season was still underway.
“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. We would have loved to have had him here playing for us,” Sangakkara said in the post-match presser.
The former Sri Lanka captain explained that Rajasthan had planned their season around having a player of Curran’s calibre available. While he appreciated Shanaka’s efforts after joining midway through the campaign, Sangakkara made it clear that losing Curran was a significant setback for the franchise.
“But I think (it was good) having Dasun Shanaka as a replacement when we were told early,” added Sangakkara.
Reason behind Curran’s non-availibility
Curran had previously addressed his injury concerns while speaking about his decision to leave the tournament. The England all-rounder revealed that he had been managing the problem for some time before medical scans showed enough damage to force him into making a difficult call.
“It is an injury that I have kind of been battling with a little bit. 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,” Curran had said.
The Surrey captain further explained that the injury was affecting his performance and that stepping away from the IPL was necessary to focus on recovery.
“To miss the IPL was very disappointing. I just have a rehab block of trying to get strong and fit for whenever it feels right. It will be tough to watch the IPL because I know that I’d like to have been there, but injuries are part of sport,” he added.
Interestingly, although Curran has been among the leading run-scorers in the T20 Blast and has captained Surrey, he has yet to bowl in the competition, indicating that he may still be managing his workload.
Sangakkara backs BCCI’s strict policy
While discussing the broader issue of player withdrawals, Sangakkara backed the BCCI’s firm regulations regarding players who pull out after being selected at the auction. The Royals coach acknowledged that injuries are an unavoidable part of professional sport and that franchises understand when players suffer genuine season-ending setbacks. However, he stressed that commitments made to teams should be honoured wherever possible.
He also praised several overseas players in the Rajasthan setup who remained with the squad despite receiving limited opportunities during the season. The RR head coach concluded by emphasizing that the BCCI’s regulations should remain strict to ensure professionalism and accountability across all franchises.
“I think a proper tight policy around that is always a requirement. And the BCCI has a strict policy on that. We’ve also had players like Adam Milne, Hetmyer, Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Kwena Maphaka. They’ve been here, they’ve done the hard yards, they’ve practised, they’ve carried water for the team and they’ve really worked as hard as anyone else to support the team on this journey. I think every side in the IPL will benefit from that. That’s the way it should continue to be very strict, to make sure that contractual obligations are met properly and genuinely,” Sangakkara added further.
