Kumar Sangakkara, the director of cricket for Rajasthan Royals, expressed his disappointment regarding Sam Curran's decision to skip IPL 2026 due to a groin injury. Despite this injury, Curran played for Surrey in the Vitality Blast shortly after, which Sangakkara found troubling. He stated, 'We were told that Sam Curran had a season-ending injury, but I think I saw him playing for Surrey for two games or three games now. So that was disappointing.' Curran's absence led to Rajasthan Royals signing Dasun Shanaka as a replacement, who subsequently faced a one-year ban from the Pakistan Super League for withdrawing from his contract. Sangakkara emphasized the need for a stricter policy on player availability post-auction, aligning with BCCI's regulations. He acknowledged that injuries are part of the game but reiterated the value of having players like Curran in the team. Curran himself revealed that he had been managing the groin issue during the T20 World Cup, which had progressively worsened, ultimately necessitating his decision to withdraw from IPL 2026.