IPL 2026 is nearing its conclusion, with only two teams remaining in the race for the title. After starting the season with 10 franchises, eight have now been eliminated, leaving Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru to battle for the championship.
Rajasthan Royals became the latest side to exit the tournament after suffering a seven-wicket defeat to Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2. Following the loss, Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara made comments that have sparked discussion around England all-rounder Sam Curran’s absence from the tournament.
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Curran had joined Rajasthan Royals from Chennai Super Kings in a high-profile trade that also saw Ravindra Jadeja move to the Jaipur-based franchise, while Sanju Samson headed in the opposite direction. However, before the business end of the season, Curran withdrew from IPL 2026 due to a groin injury, prompting Rajasthan to bring in Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun Shanaka as his replacement.
Sangakkara expresses disappointment
Speaking after Rajasthan’s elimination, Sangakkara expressed disappointment over seeing Curran feature for Surrey while IPL 2026 was still underway. According to the Royals coach, the franchise had been informed that Curran’s injury was significant enough to rule him out for the remainder of IPL 2026 tournament.
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Sangakkara noted that seeing the England all-rounder playing multiple matches for Surrey was frustrating from Rajasthan’s perspective, as the team would have welcomed his services during the crucial stages of the competition.
At the same time, he acknowledged that the franchise had received early clarity regarding Curran’s availability, allowing them sufficient time to sign a replacement.
Meanwhile, Curran has enjoyed a productive start to the T20 Blast, captaining Surrey in their opening matches and emerging as one of the competition’s leading run-scorers. Earlier, the all-rounder had stated that medical scans showed the injury was serious and that there was no definite timeline for his full recovery, which ultimately led to his decision to pull out of IPL 2026.
Despite Rajasthan’s exit, one of the biggest positives for the franchise has been the emergence of teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The youngster has enjoyed a remarkable campaign, scoring 776 runs in 16 innings and currently holding the Orange Cap.
Heading into the IPL 2026 final, Gujarat Titans duo Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan remain his closest challengers with 722 and 710 runs respectively, setting up an intriguing race for the tournament’s top run-scorer award.
