Rajasthan Royals have been dealt a significant blow on the eve of the tournament, with England all-rounder Sam Curran set to miss the entire season due to a suspected groin injury. The news compounds what is already shaping up to be one of the most injury-disrupted starts to an IPL season in recent memory with Harshit Rana, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Ellis, and Wanindu Hasaranga already among those struggling to be fit.
Curran last played on March 5 in the 2026 T20 World Cup, when England were beaten by eventual champions India in the semi-final. He was set to represent Rajasthan Royals for the first time after joining the franchise through a trade with Chennai Super Kings in November 2025 with Curran and Ravindra Jadeja moving to RR in exchange for Sanju Samson, who went on to be named Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup.
The symmetry of that trade is now laced with irony. While Samson has gone on to become arguably the hottest cricketer in India after his World Cup heroics, Curran who was to be RR’s premier all-round weapon will not play a single ball for them this season.
Across his 64 IPL appearances, Curran has scored 997 runs at a strike rate of 136.38 and claimed 59 wickets a dual contribution that made him one of the competition’s most dependable impact performers. In his final season for CSK in IPL 2025, he played five matches, contributing 114 runs with the bat, including a scintillating 88 off 47 balls against Punjab Kings.
It is as a death bowler, however, that his absence will sting the most. His left-arm angle, ability to shape the ball away from right-handers, and composure under pressure were qualities RR would have leaned on heavily in the back-end of innings a phase where the franchise has historically been vulnerable.
With no confirmation yet on a replacement, the franchise is exploring a few avenues. Aside from Ravindra Jadeja, RR also have South African power-hitter Donovan Ferreira a quickish offspin bowling all-rounder who arrived via a trade from Delhi Capitals at his base price of ₹1 crore. Ferreira can plug some gaps, but he is by no means a direct substitute for what Curran brings to a team.
RR’s campaign begins on March 30 against Chennai Super Kings the very franchise from which Curran was traded making the circumstances of this opener distinctly poignant. Captain Riyan Parag’s side will need to integrate several new arrivals while simultaneously compensating for the loss of one of their biggest-name recruits. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Jofra Archer, and Jadeja remain formidable weapons, but the all-round balance that Curran would have provided is not easily replicated.
As IPL 2026 braces for its start on March 28, the tournament’s injury cloud is darker than most anticipated. For Rajasthan Royals, the season will now begin as a test of squad depth even before the first ball is bowled.
