Ahead of the IPL auction, teams have already sprung major surprises. Several star players-from Russell to Faf du Plessis, have been released by their franchises. But the biggest shock came in a trade move, with Ravindra Jadeja joining the Rajasthan Royals. Now, RR have made another major announcement. Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara has been appointed as Rajasthan’s head coach ahead of the upcoming IPL season. Rahul Dravid had stepped down from the role in August, and Sangakkara has now taken his place. The franchise made the announcement official on Monday.
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Sangakkara has been associated with the Royals for quite a while now. In 2021, he was made the Director of Cricket of the franchise. That responsibility will remain - which means he will be juggling two key roles from now on.
This isn’t his first time as head coach either. He had previously led the Royals from 2021 to 2024 and took the Royals to the playoffs twice in four seasons. However, the team fared poorly last season under Dravid's coaching. Sangakkara's mission now will be to bring the side back on track.
Speaking about his new role, he said - "We want to win the IPL- that goal has never changed. For me, staying connected with the players is crucial. Every match should be approached with the same energy and intent. Sometimes a situation may look chaotic from the outside, but that isn’t always the case in reality.”
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RR have also made several changes in their coaching staff. But with Sanju Samson leaving the team, the immediate question amongst the fans now is about who will be leading the captaincy.
