IPL 2021 | Really enjoyed speaking to RR’s leadership group and can’t wait to get going, admits Kumar Sangakkara

With the on-field issues that the Rajasthan Royals faced last season, where they finished on the bottom of the table, there were some decisions to be made. Thus, they kicked off the preparation for the 2021 IPL with plenty of news, including the release of Steve Smith and the appointment of Kumar Sangakkara as the new director of cricket. 

As confirmed by the Royals, the Sri Lankan would be a key figure in the leadership group, for overseeing the entire cricketing ecosystem of the Royals franchise, including coaching structure, auction plans and team strategy, talent discovery and development. In addition, his role also includes the development of the Royals Academy in Nagpur. 

"To oversee the cricket strategy of a franchise in the leading cricket competition in the world, as well as building the development programmes and cricketing infrastructure that will provide the future foundation of the IPL team's on-field success, is an opportunity that really motivated me,” said Sangakkara following his appointment on their website.

"I have really enjoyed speaking to the leadership group over the recent weeks and can't wait to get going. The team includes some of the world’s best players and personalities so it’s going to be a lot of fun working with this group," Sanga added.

During his time in the IPL, the southpaw represented three franchises - Deccan Chargers, Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad before calling it a day from the Indian Premier League. RR’s newly appointed skipper Sanju Samson had words of praises for the Sri Lankan legend. 

"I'm delighted that Kumar has come on board and we have already had some great conversations together. He is someone who has had an exceptional cricket career himself and obviously understands the modern game. It is wonderful to have someone like him at the helm and is going to be fantastic to learn from him. I can't wait to get started and work with him in the coming seasons,” said Sanju Samson on RR's website.