3 players who could replace Sam Curran at RR for IPL 2026

Sam Curran was traded by RR from CSK ahead of the IPL 2026.

The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) is less than two weeks away from now. The upcoming season is all set to kick-start on March 28. Rajasthan Royals (RR) made the headlines when they traded their captain Sanju Samson away to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in place of Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.

And now, with league just around the corner, the inaugural season winner has been hit with a big blow. The English all-rounder has been ruled out of the IPL 2026 due to a groin injury. Curran, who was part of the English squad for the T20 World Cup 2026, had a decent outing.

He scored 167 runs and took six wickets. RR will be missing his all-round ability, and they will be keen to find someone who can bring multi-skills to the table. Hence, we will talk here about three possible replacements for Curran.

3 Players who could replace injured Sam Curran for RR in IPL 2026

3. Dasun Shanaka

The Sri Lankan T20I captain, Dasun Shanaka, is a proven match-winner in the shorter format. He led Sri Lanka in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2026 and had a pretty decent tournament individually. He ended up scoring 165 runs at a strike rate of 187.50 and took three wickets.

With Samson not in the setup anymore, Shanaka’s presence can add firepower in the middle order. Adding to that, he is a very useful bowler who bowls different variations to deceive the batters. He is a batting all-rounder and can give great balance to the team.

2. Gus Atkinson

Gus Atikinson is a regular face for England at the international level. He has represented his country in all three formats and has a great start to his career. He is a great new-ball bowler who bowls at a higher pace than Curran.

With that, he is a handy hitter down the order who can use the long handle. Atkinson was part of KKR in 2024 but didn’t play an IPL game. He, along with Jofra Archer, can make a really good bowling pair.

1. Wiaan Mulder

Wiaan Mulder has had a dream start to his international career. He made his debut as a pace bowler who can bat a bit. But his unbeaten 367 in Tests showcased his real potential as an all-rounder. Since then, he has never looked back and has taken giant strides across all formats.

He can be a like-to-like replacement to Sam Curran for RR in the IPL 2026. Mulder can also bowl at different phases and can be effective with the bat. He can be used as a floater because he can be good at different batting positions.

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