The Rajasthan Royals (RR) have faced a significant setback ahead of their IPL 2026 campaign. England allrounder Sam Curran is likely to miss the entire season due to a suspected groin injury.

Curran, 27, last played on March 5 during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. England lost in the semi-final to the future champions, the India national cricket team. This injury now puts his participation in the upcoming IPL season in serious doubt.

This news comes just months after Curran moved to RR from the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a high-profile trade last November. The deal also involved India allrounder Ravindra Jadeja joining RR, while wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson transferred to CSK. Samson recently boosted his reputation by winning Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup.

Curran was expected to play an important role for RR this season, making his debut for the franchise and his third IPL team overall. He started his IPL journey with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in 2019 before playing for CSK in 2020 and 2021. He returned to PBKS in 2023 as the most expensive player in IPL history, costing INR 18.5 crore, and stayed with them in 2024.

In IPL 2025, Curran rejoined CSK for INR 2.4 crore but had a modest campaign, scoring 114 runs and taking only one wicket in five matches.

With Curran now likely out, RR are looking at potential replacements, though no official announcement has been made. Along with Jadeja, the squad features South African allrounder Donovan Ferreira, a power-hitting option who can also bowl offspin. Ferreira was acquired via trade from the Delhi Capitals at his base price of INR 1 crore.

RR hopes to find a suitable replacement soon as they aim to adjust their squad ahead of the new IPL season.