Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's RR teammate Sam Curran to undergo surgery for groin injury, England Test return delayed

A severe groin injury requiring immediate surgery has shattered star all-rounder Sam Curran’s ambitions for a red-ball revival with England.

Sam Curran's surgery puts his England Test return on hold

The 28-year-old Surrey star was on the verge of breaking back into the Test setup for the first time since 2021 as the national side searches for balance following Ben Stokes' retirement. Despite managing the physical setback throughout The Hundred, national selector Marcus North revealed that Curran had been lined up as a top all-round candidate for the ongoing Pakistan series, with a target return set for the third Test in September.

ALSO READ: Watch: Indian Mixed Disability Team recreates Ganguly's famous Lord's balcony celebration after hammering England

However, subsequent medical evaluations revealed the true extent of the issue, forcing the left-arm all-rounder under the knife on Friday. The operation officially ends his current season, forcing him off the pitch for both Surrey’s remaining fixtures and England’s upcoming September white-ball clash against Sri Lanka. While Curran remains a central pillar in England's limited-overs squads, his long-awaited return to the game's longest format remains indefinitely sidelined.

Recurrent groin issues have plagued Sam Curran throughout the year, forcing his withdrawal from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 where he was to represent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi-starrer Rajasthan Royals (RR) back in March before resurfacing during The Hundred. While captaining MI London, the injury restricted his availability, forcing him to sit out one fixture and limiting his bowling workload in four others. His absence—compounded by the lack of a genuine seam-bowling all-rounder—left England short of options for the Headingley Test against Pakistan. Lacking balance, selectors bypassed a frontline spinner entirely, relying instead on Dan Lawrence to slot in at number six and handle part-time off-spin duties.

ALSO READ: Duleep Trophy 2026 final moved from CoE to this venue for crowd attendance

Will Jacks too underwent surgery

England’s options were further thinned by surgery for another key Surrey all-rounder, Will Jacks. Having recently undergone an appendectomy, Jacks was sidelined from Surrey's County Championship fixture against Nottinghamshire and effectively ruled out of the Pakistan Test series. Medical staff are monitoring his recovery to determine if he will be fit in time for the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka.