IPL 2021: We weren't good enough on the day and we have to accept it – Kumar Sangakkara

Rajasthan Royals' Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara lamented the absence of valuable batting knocks in the side's IPL 2021 fixture against Delhi Capitals. Chasing a total of 154 on a track where it was easily gettable, Rajasthan stuttered and lost their way. They eventually ended up falling 33 runs short.

Responding to a question from The Bridge on the lack of support Sanju Samson had in the middle, Sangakkara said the target should've been chased with the batting (order) that RR have. "It was a tough one for the skipper (Sanju Samson). He was batting so well, all we needed was someone to stay with him. Unfortunately, losing wickets so regularly really didn't allow Sanju to cut free early on."

Sangakkara also heaped praise on the Delhi Capitals bowling outfit who produced a tremendous all-round performance to restrict RR in the run chase. "The Delhi (Capitals) boys bowled well and bowled smartly. They also managed to bowl areas that are Sanju's strengths."

Although the loss was a pretty disappointing pill to swallow, Sangakkara insists that the side must move on from the defeat and focus on what's coming next. "We can go back and anaylse it whichever way we want but at the end of the day, chasing 154 should've been done with the batting that we have, especially starting from the top order downwards.

"We weren't good enough on the day and we've got to accept it. We need to look at moving forward and look at things that we can do better."

Encouragement and opportunities go hand in hand, says Sangakkara

Rajasthan Royals have been a fine grooming hub for youngsters in the Indian Premier League. With several talented youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Kartik Tyagi, and Chetan Sakariya in their ranks, the Royals haven't been shy in providing them with opportunities.

When asked about where to draw the line between developing the youngsters and being concerned about their inconsistency, Sangakkara said, "Encouragement and opportunities go hand in hand. They are there because they are good enough to play and they've shown us exactly how good they are in different stages. Jaiswal, Mahipal Lomror, Kartik Tyagi…Anuj Rawat is also waiting in the wings.

"The thing we have to be very careful about is stifling that natural exuberance that these players have. We try to develop them to read the game a little bit better, read situations and make use of their shot-making abilities," said Sangakkara.

The legendary former Sri Lankan captain also mentioned that he was proud of the quality of the young Indian cricketers in the side. "I'm really very happy to see the quality of the young Indian players. Riyan Parag, I think, has an amazing future. So does the rest of the younger boys. My job and the coaching team's job is to just get them polished up and ready to play," Sangakkara signed off.