Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara has questioned Sam Curran’s absence from IPL 2026 after the England all-rounder returned to action for Surrey in the Vitality Blast despite the franchise being informed that he suffered a season-ending injury.

I will talk later Rajasthan Royals defeat in Qualifier 2Sangakkara said it was disappointing to see Curran return to action in England after the franchise was informed that the all-rounder would miss the entire season due to injury.

Sangakkara told reporters, “We were told Sam Curran had a season-ending injury, but I think I saw him play two or three games for Surrey. It was disappointing because we would have loved to have had him with us.”

Curran was signed by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 2.40 crore but withdrew before the start of the season due to a back injury. The franchise then brought in Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun Shanaka as his replacement.

Sangakkara said that when the Royals were informed about the injury they accepted the situation and praised the team for the way they responded despite losing a player of Curran’s calibre.

“Having brought in Dasun Shanaka as a replacement after being initially informed, I think the team and everyone involved should be extremely proud of their achievement,” he said.

The former Sri Lanka captain also supported the BCCI’s stance on player withdrawal and injuries and said that clear rules were necessary to protect the interests of franchises.

“There is always a need for a proper, strict policy on this and the BCCI has a strict policy on this. Injuries are part of the game, and if it is a serious, season-ending injury, then of course we understand,” Sangakkara said.

Curran’s return comes after a groin problem that troubled him during England’s T20 World Cup campaign. said after taking out IPLThe 27-year-old had said that scans revealed there was enough damage to require an extended period of rehabilitation.

Curran told the BBC at the time, “It’s an injury I’ve been struggling with a bit. It’s gradually got partially worse. I went for some scans, and it showed fair damage, so I had to make a tough decision. It was bothering me quite a bit.”

The England all-rounder also admitted that missing the IPL was a big blow.

“It was very disappointing to miss the IPL, and now I feel I have a rehab block to try to get stronger and fit whenever I feel like it,” he said.

However, Curran’s return to Surrey before the IPL season ended has prompted renewed discussion about player availability and injury replacements.

Sangakkara pointed to the commitment shown by many members of the Rajasthan Royals team, including players who remained with the team despite limited opportunities.

“We have had a lot of injuries ourselves. We also have players like Adam Milne, Shimron Hetmyer, Luan-Dre Pretorius and Kwena Mafaka who are here despite not getting much game time. They have worked hard, practised, watered for the team and worked as hard as anyone to support the team on this journey,” he said.

Sangakkara avoided making any direct allegations and said that the existing rules of BCCI should remain in force.

He said, “It’s really up to the individual player to decide whether they want to come or not, but I think the BCCI’s policy is very strict now, and it should stay that way. It ensures that contractual obligations are met fairly and realistically, and I think every IPL side will benefit from that.”

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