IPL 2021: Rajasthan Royals sticking together as a group, says Kumar Sangakkara

Rajasthan Royals doesn't believe in blaming individuals as it wins and loses as a team, says the club's team director Kumar Sangakkara.

Published : Sep 30, 2021 11:59 IST

Kumar Sangakkara: "Our group has held together really well." - BCCI/IPL
Kumar Sangakkara: "Our group has held together really well." - BCCI/IPL
lightbox-info

Kumar Sangakkara: "Our group has held together really well." - BCCI/IPL

Rajasthan Royals doesn't believe in blaming individuals as it wins and loses as a team, the club's team director Kumar Sangakkara said after the Royals were defeated by Royal Challengers Bangalore in Dubai on Wednesday.

"We don't play the blame game in our franchise. We win together, we lose together. We haven't done well enough, haven't been smart enough with our batting and we all know that. The players know it. So, we'll try to keep things simple, focus on training and how we plan to execute what we've spoken about," Sangakarra said.

'Lot of pressure'

"We always keep things simple. There's a lot of pressure on players that they put on themselves. In the game itself, there's a lot of pressure," Sangakkara added.

Sangakkara said his job was to guide the team rather than adding burden on them.

ALSO READ - Happy to provide a base for finishers like AB and Maxwell, says RCB's Bharat

"My job is not to add to that but guide them (on) how to deal with it and come up with their best performances," he said.

To manage highs and lows require different perspective feels Sangakkara. "There's many ways that you manage the highs of wins and disappointments of a loss and be able to keep yourself calm and focus on what needs to be done.

 

"At times like this, it's very easy to be dejected and break up into little groups where murmurings can start but our group has held together really well," added the Sri Lankan batting great.

The former Sri Lankan wicketkeeper also praised skipper Sanju Samson, saying he will be selected in the national team for a longer run.

"Yeah, we do have one-on-one chats on a lot of things. And when we do talk cricket, India aspirations come at a time when the IPL is over. And our chats are very much IPL-focused. Not just his (Samson's) batting but about captaincy, about the team and how we are playing," Sangakkara added.

Samson, who has scored 452 runs this season, is the leading run-getter for his franchise.

"He (Samson) is a very good player, a very special player. He has done exceptionally well for us this season. And I am sure that he has aspirations to play for India and, at some point, I think he will be selected for a longer run. He is good and ready at any time that he is picked," Sangakkara signed off.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment