Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], March 19 (ANI): Rajasthan Royals (RR) have suffered a setback ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season with England all-rounder Sam Curran likely to miss the campaign due to a suspected groin injury.

According to ESPNcricinfo, the English all-rounder may miss the full season. Curran last appeared on March 5 during the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, where England fell to eventual champions India in the semi-final match.

The 27-year-old Curran was set to make his debut for the Royals after being acquired in a high-profile trade with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) last November.

Under the deal, Curran and India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja moved to RR in exchange for India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, who was recently named Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup.

Curran's absence leaves RR short of an experienced all-rounder in their squad, which already includes Jadeja and Donovan Ferreira, a power-hitter. Ferreira, like Curran and Jadeja, joined RR via a trade, moving from Delhi Capitals at his base price of Rs 1 crore.

The franchise is understood to be evaluating potential replacements for Curran, though no official announcement has been made.

Curran, who would have represented RR for the first time, has had a varied IPL career across multiple franchises. He started with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in 2019, moved to CSK for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, returned to PBKS in 2023 as the league's most expensive player at Rs 18.5 crore, and played again for them in 2024. CSK then bought him back for Rs 2.4 crore in IPL 2025, where he managed 114 runs and just one wicket in five matches.

With the IPL season around the corner, RR will now have to rethink their strategy in the absence of Curran, whose all-around abilities were expected to bolster the team's middle order and bowling options. The franchise's management is reportedly exploring multiple avenues to ensure its squad remains competitive ahead of the upcoming campaign. (ANI)