Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara has expressed confidence in his squad’s balance despite the franchise lacking players from Suryakumar Yadav’s World Cup-winning team. Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants are the other IPL sides in a similar position.
Addressing the issue, Sangakkara maintained that the Royals possess sufficient quality and depth to remain competitive throughout the tournament. “It is what it is,” he said.
“India played amazingly well in the World Cup. I am more interested in the players that we have, rather than the players we don’t have. For me, looking at my squad, there are certainly enough good Indian players, who probably played in both World Cup sides. Competition for places in India is very intense, and many of our players are on the fringes, trying to break into the side.
“But purely in terms of skill, we have tremendous depth. Players like Jofra Archer, who has just returned from the World Cup, add further strength. Looking at it from a squad perspective, I believe we are very well balanced and have enough quality to compete with any side in any conditions.”
Sangakkara shared his views during a pre-season media interaction in Jaipur on Thursday, emphasising the importance of cohesion and preparation. “We can have all the bases covered, everything done, and now it’s real hard work where we try to get them all together, really believe in each other, and then really prepare well to start playing against the opposition. At the end of the day, the proof of the pudding and the strategy score is how they perform.”
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Samson departure leaves big gap
Rajasthan Royals had Sanju Samson, the Player of the World Cup, in their ranks before he moved to Chennai Super Kings in a pre-season trade. The franchise acknowledged the challenge of replacing the former captain.
“If you talk about Sanju bhaiya, we never think about replacing the kind of player he is. We can perhaps look for someone with a similar skillset or have someone bat in his position. It’s like there is no replacement for Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, and in the same way, there is no replacement for Sanju bhaiya because he is such a good player,” said new skipper Riyan Parag.
Focus on nurturing young talent
Parag also highlighted the emergence of young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has attracted attention since his IPL debut last year. The teenager’s 175 in the Under-19 World Cup final remains a notable performance, and Parag stressed the importance of allowing him to develop without excessive external pressure.
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“I feel that what he has done over the last one year is something very few young players have managed. Wherever he goes, he is scoring runs, and it’s great to see that. It’s not about making the IPL or anything like that – for India, as a cricketing nation, having an opener of such quality at such a young age speaks volumes. It reflects both our diversity and the immense talent in the country.
“As far as his role is concerned, my message to him would be simple – don’t get overwhelmed by the attention. Avoid too many media interactions, just enjoy the game. Let him be. He is only 15-16 years old. Let him play his cricket. He is doing very well and has the potential to make the country proud,” Parag said.
Strategy and decision-making key this season
Looking ahead, Parag outlined the team’s approach for the upcoming campaign, focusing on improved planning and better execution in close matches.
“This year, the focus is to plan better and finish games, which we couldn’t do in the previous edition. I feel we have to plan well. Last year, there were about five-six games that we lost in the last over or even on the last ball.
“Had we been able to convert those, or had we calculated better or even hit one more four or six, this question would not have been asked because we would have qualified (for the playoffs) by winning those matches. I think that in every T20 game, there are 3-4 decisions that you have to make which change the course of the game.
“I know in a 40-over game, there are a lot of small decisions, as well as major ones like who will bat where and what we will do after winning the toss. If we make those small decisions with better strategy and planning, this year will be different.”
