IPL 2021: 'Great player and a natural-born leader,' Kumar Sangakkara hails 'superstar batsman' of Rajasthan Royals | Cricket - Hindustan Times
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IPL 2021: 'Great player and a natural-born leader,' Kumar Sangakkara hails 'superstar batsman' of Rajasthan Royals

By, New Delhi
Apr 01, 2021 02:37 PM IST

IPL 2021: Last year, the Royals finished at the bottom of the pile with 12 points from 14 matches, winning just six matches.

Winners of the inaugural IPL back in 2008, Rajasthan Royals have not yet been able to replicate their success of the first-ever IPL. In fact, the Royals have not even made it to an IPL final since lifting the trophy in its first season. Last year, the Royals finished at the bottom of the pile with 12 points from 14 matches, winning just six matches.

Kumar Sangakkara was appointed Rajasthan Royals' director of cricket. (Getty Images)
Kumar Sangakkara was appointed Rajasthan Royals' director of cricket. (Getty Images)

Following a disappointing year, there was a change in guard, with last year's captain Steve Smith released from the squad ahead of the IPL 2021 auction. At the event, RR acquired eight new recruits in Shivam Dube, Chris Morris, Mustafizur Rahman, Chetan Sakariya, KC Cariappa, Liam Livingstone, Kuldip Yadav, Akash Singh.

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There was a change in guard, with RR naming Sanju Samson as their captain, while Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara joined the franchise as its director of cricket. With a fresh season ahead filled with new hopes, Sangakkara has backed the newly-appointed captain Samson – who has been with the Royals since 2013 to 2015 before joining the team again in 2018 – to fit well into this new role.

"Very excited. He is such a great player and a natural-born leader. He has basically grown up in the RR family. It is really exciting for me and everyone to have him as our leader, as our captain. It is not going to be an easy season, he has a lot on his shoulders. But he is a mature young man, capable of delivering the goods as a leader, and also as one of our leading superstar batsmen,” Sangakkara said while responding to a query in a video uploaded on Rajasthan Royals' Twitter handle.

Asked about how Sangakkara plans on bringing a fresh culture into the team and change the mindset of players after the debacle of last season, the former Sri Lanka batsman said he would keep things simple.

"It is about training really well. About giving them the right information and giving them the confidence and the trust that once we are set on a cricketing philosophy for the season, in the way we play, in the way we relate to each other, in the way we try and execute game plans and to send the message that making a mistake in the pursuit of that is absolutely fine,” Sangakkara said.

"We learn from our mistakes and move on, but we don’t take a backward step. That conversation, that trust has to be built very quickly this season and it something we won’t compromise on."

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