‘Tough call’: Sam Curran reveals injury that forced IPL 2026 withdrawal

NEW DELHI — England all-rounder Sam Curran has described the groin complaint that ended his Indian Premier League 2026 campaign before it began as “an injury that I’ve kind of been battling with a little bit,” acknowledging that the decision to withdraw was one of the hardest of his career.

Curran, 27, had been traded to Rajasthan Royals ahead of the season and was poised to spearhead their attack after helping England reach the T20 World Cup semi-finals. Instead, post-tournament scans revealed what the player termed “reasonable damage,” prompting an immediate rehabilitation programme at home.

“It has gradually got fractionally worse,” Curran told BBC Sport. “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.”

The timing compounds the frustration. “To miss the IPL was very disappointing… but now I have a rehab block of trying to get strong and fit,” he said, casting doubt over his availability for Surrey’s early-season fixtures and his prospective role as T20 Blast captain.

Curran conceded that a concrete comeback date remains elusive. “It’s all going to come down to symptoms. It is obviously still a way off from that,” he noted, adding that this is his first extended rehabilitation stint in England. “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.”

Rajasthan have moved swiftly to secure Sri Lankan dasher Dasun Shanaka as his replacement, yet Curran’s withdrawal highlights the physical toll exacted by an unrelenting international calendar and adds another high-profile name to the tournament’s growing injury list.