England star reportedly unfollows RR on social media after Kumar Sangakkara's criticism
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England star reportedly unfollows RR on social media after Kumar Sangakkara's criticism originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Sam Curran reportedly unfollowed Rajasthan Royals after Sangakkara publicly criticised his IPL exit.
- Curran withdrew from the IPL 2026 season, citing a groin injury, then played three games for Surrey.
- Sangakkara wanted Curran present, praised BCCI's strict pullout-ban policy.
Sam Curran reportedly unfollows Rajasthan Royals after Kumar Sangakkara's public dig
Sam Curran appears to have severed his digital connection with Rajasthan Royals, with reports suggesting the England all-rounder has stopped following the franchise on social media.
The move comes weeks after Royals legend-turned-mentor Kumar Sangakkara openly questioned why Curran chose to step away from this year's IPL campaign, only to later turn up for Surrey in England's domestic T20 competition.
Curran had been expected to be a key player for the Royals, having arrived from Chennai Super Kings in a swap that also brought Ravindra Jadeja across, with Sanju Samson heading the other way.
Yet once the T20 World Cup wrapped up, Curran ruled himself out of the IPL because of a groin problem, prompting RR to sign Dasun Shanaka in his place.
(BCCI/Sportzpics)What did Kumar Sangakkara say about Sam Curran?
Shanaka ended up turning out seven times for the side, the last of those being the second qualifier that the Royals lost on Friday, May 29. Talking to the press afterward, Sangakkara made no secret of his unhappiness at seeing Curran available for his county.
"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," Sangakkara said.
"We would have loved to have had him here playing for us. But I think (it was good) having Dasun Shanaka as a replacement when we were told early."
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According to RR, Curran had flagged his unavailability in advance, and Shanaka came in on March 23. That move, however, created fresh complications.
To accept the Royals' offer, Shanaka had to back out of his agreement with Lahore Qalandars in PSL 2026, and that decision has now earned him a one-year suspension from the competition.
What is Sam Curran's side of the story?
For his part, Curran has maintained that the decision was far from easy. He explained that the groin trouble had been gradually worsening throughout the T20 World Cup.
"It's an injury that I've kind of been battling with a little bit," Curran was quoted as saying.
"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."
Curran featured for Surrey as a specialist batter and skipped his bowling duties.
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What happens next for Sam Curran?
It is difficult for Curran to continue with RR in IPL 2027 after the public fallout and the subsequent social media unfollow. However, interest in him was notably thin during the 2025 cycle, but talk has already started about where he might land next.
Given his publicly expressed fondness for CSK, it would not be surprising if the franchise, under Ruturaj Gaikwad's leadership, eventually moves to bring him back into their fold.
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