IPL: We have a very competent side - says Rajasthan Royals head coach Sangakkara

INDIA: Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara is hopeful that Royals will do well in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 — as he believes that they have a competent side, with leggie Yuzvendra Chahal and off-spinner Ravi Ashwin making a strong spin quartet — besides also having depth in batting and fast bowling departments.

"We know we had quite a bit of work to do in the off-season with regards to our team. I think we managed to identify the key areas which needed our attention. I think the franchise has done an amazing job to put this exciting and strong squad together," he said during an interaction in Red Bull Cricket Room, according to CricTracker. 

The Sri Lankan batting legend also believes that they have got all bases covered in all three departments — spin, fast bowling, and batting. 

"We've got the two best spinners in the IPL in terms of off-spin and leg-spin in Chahal and Ashwin. We have Boult, Prasidh, Saini, Coulter-Nile, McCoy, which make up for a very exciting pace unit. We are also supported by the retentions of Yashasvi, Samson, and Buttler. We have secured depth in every department, with Neesham, Mitchell, and van der Dussen being exciting cricketers," he elaborated. 

"We've got some really exciting and young cricketers from India as well. The main thing is that we have a very competent side, the main thing irrespective of what the squad is is actual match performance on the field, and how we can give everyone the freedom to go out there and perform," he revealed. 

It should be noted that Royals coaching staff will also have Sangakkara country men Lasith Malinga — who was considered as one of the best limited-overs pacers — as fast-bowling coach in IPL 2022. 

"Lasith comes with a pedigree, being one of the greatest T20 bowlers, and having mentored a lot of the Indian young bowlers as well. My job really is to add value to the franchise through myself or through people that I would recommend. It's pretty obvious for everyone to see the standards of both Lasith and Paddy. They’ve had stellar careers with their respective teams in their jobs and can prove to be vital elements in our quest for the title," he stressed. 

While Sangakkara also revealed that his team's overall objective is to play a good and competitive during this year's IPL. 

"Objective is just to play good cricket. We have our own performance metrics that we'll match each individual's and the team's performance after each match. It's a case of ensuring that we're well prepared. The results will be results either way, but we've got to play some good competitive cricket, and really enjoy the game," he concluded.