Kumar Sangakkara admits he was “disappointing” to see Sam Curran back in action for Surrey barely two months after pulling out of the IPL with what Rajasthan Royals (RR) had understood to be a season-ending groin injury.
“We were told that Sam Curran had a season-ending injury,” the RR head coach told reporters after his side’s elimination in Qualifier 2 on Friday. “So that was disappointing. We would have loved to have had him here playing for us.”
Curran, traded to the Royals from Chennai Super Kings in a high-profile pre-season swap involving Ravindra Jadeja and Sanju Samson, withdrew on 19 March, saying he would return “whenever it feels right.” By 22 May he was opening the batting for Surrey in the Vitality Blast, top-scoring with 141 runs across three matches – although he has not bowled yet.
The all-rounder had explained at the time that the groin problem dated back to the T20 World Cup. “It’s an injury that I’ve kind of been battling with a little bit,” he told British media. “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.”
RR moved swiftly after the withdrawal, drafting Dasun Shanaka on 23 March. That decision caused knock-on issues: the Sri Lanka captain had to tear up a contract with Lahore Qalandars in the PSL, earning a one-year ban from that tournament.
Sangakkara stressed that injuries are part of the game but hinted he would have valued Curran’s presence in the Royals camp even if he could not play. “We’ve also had players like Adam Milne, [Shimron] Hetmyer, quite a few who came here and not had much of a game; Lhuan-dre Pretorius is another one, Kwena 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 in this journey,” he said.
The question of overseas players honouring IPL contracts is not new. After several last-minute withdrawals in previous seasons, the BCCI introduced a two-year ban in 2024 for anyone who reneges after being bought at auction. Sangakkara backs clear rules. “Yeah, I think a proper tight policy around that is always a requirement. The BCCI has a strict policy on that,” he noted. “Injuries, every person goes through injuries, and if it’s a serious injury, a season ending injury, of course we understand.”
Yet the optics of Curran’s swift return to domestic cricket remain awkward. He has looked comfortable with the bat for Surrey, while RR ended their campaign searching for lower-order runs and reliable death bowling – precisely the areas Curran was recruited to bolster. Director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara and captain Samson both declined to expand on internal discussions with the player, suggesting only that “communication lines were open.”
Analytically, the situation underlines the tension between county, franchise and international commitments. Surrey are chasing a fifth Blast title and hope to have Curran available throughout June. England’s selectors, meanwhile, will monitor his fitness ahead of the white-ball tour of Pakistan later in the year. If he remains purely a batting option, the debate over workload management will intensify.
For the Royals, reflection begins straight away. Tom Moody, speaking on ESPN’s T20 Time Out, felt “jumbled thinking around entry points” cost RR against Gujarat Titans. Aaron Finch agreed, adding that the side “missed a left-arm swing option up top”. Neither named Curran directly, but the inference was clear.
Sangakkara, always measured, closed the subject for now: “It’s really up to that individual player to decide whether they want to come or not, but I think the BCCI…” He trailed off, choosing diplomacy over confrontation. The off-season will tell whether stronger wording – or firmer regulations – follow.
