Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara has publicly expressed his frustration over England all-rounder Sam Curran’s absence from the IPL 2026 season, raising concerns about player availability and contractual commitments after the franchise’s campaign came to an end in Qualifier 2 against the Gujarat Titans.
The Royals suffered a seven-wicket defeat on Friday, bringing the curtain down on a season that Sangakkara said was repeatedly disrupted by personnel setbacks. Among those issues, the former Sri Lanka captain singled out Curran’s withdrawal from the tournament despite the England all-rounder subsequently appearing in domestic cricket back home.
Speaking after the playoff loss, Sangakkara questioned the circumstances surrounding Curran’s absence.
“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’d have loved to have had him here playing for us, but we got Dasun Shanaka as a replacement after we were informed early,” Sangakkara told reporters.
Curran had arrived at Rajasthan through a high-profile trade with the Chennai Super Kings before the season. The Royals secured both Curran and Ravindra Jadeja in exchange for Sanju Samson, investing Rs 2.4 crore in the English all-rounder. However, before the tournament began, Curran informed the franchise that he would be unavailable because of what was described as a season-ending injury. Rajasthan later brought in Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun Shanaka as a replacement.
The Royals coach also underlined the need for stricter enforcement of regulations governing player withdrawals from the league.
“A proper, tight policy around that is always a requirement. The BCCI has a strict policy on that. Every player goes through injuries, and if it’s a serious injury, a season-ending injury, of course we understand,” he said.
Curran has since featured in three matches for Surrey in the ongoing T20 Blast. While the 27-year-old has not bowled since England’s T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to India in March, he has contributed significantly with the bat, scoring 141 runs in the competition.
Sangakkara contrasted Curran’s absence with the commitment shown by several other overseas players in the Rajasthan setup, many of whom remained with the squad despite limited on-field opportunities.
“We’ve had quite a few injuries. We’ve also had players like Adam Milne and Hetmyer, who’ve come here and not had much of a game. Lhuan-dre Pretorius is another one. ‘Kwenna Maphaka is another one. 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. It’s really up to that individual player to decide whether they want to come or not.
“But I think the BCCI policy around it is very strict now, and that’s the way it should continue to be, to make sure that contractual obligations are met properly and genuinely. I think every side in the IPL will benefit from that,” he added.
