NEW DELHI: Sam Curran has opened up on the groin injury that ruled him out of IPL 2026, admitting the issue had been building for a while before finally forcing a “tough decision” to withdraw.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The England all-rounder, who was set to represent Rajasthan Royals after a trade move, pulled out just ahead of the tournament following the T20 World Cup, where England reached the semi-finals.Curran revealed he had been carrying the injury through the global tournament. “It’s an injury that I’ve kind of been battling with a little bit. It has gradually got fractionally worse,” he said, in a conversation with BBC.ALSO READ: ‘Two-year ban not working’: Sunil Gavaskar calls for stricter IPL pullout rulesPost-tournament scans confirmed the extent of the damage. “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,” he added.The 27-year-old said missing the IPL was particularly frustrating given his excitement about joining a new franchise. “To miss the IPL was very disappointing… but now I have a rehab block of trying to get strong and fit,” he noted.Focus shifts to recoveryCurran is now undergoing rehabilitation in England and admitted that his return timeline remains uncertain. “It’s all going to come down to symptoms. It is obviously still a way off from that,” he said, casting doubt over his participation in upcoming domestic assignments.He is also unlikely to feature immediately for Surrey and remains unsure about leading the side in the T20 Blast. “It is probably my first time to do a bit of rehab back in England,” he said.Despite the setback, Curran remained pragmatic. “It will be tough to watch the IPL because I know that I’d like to have been there, but injuries are part of sport,” he added.Rajasthan have since named Dasun Shanaka as his replacement for the season.Curran’s withdrawal adds to a growing list of high-profile absentees this year, underlining the physical toll of a packed cricket calendar.