Kumar Sangakkara names 3 uncapped players from RR who have a bright future

Rajasthan Royals’ young all-rounder Riyan Parag looks like a promising youngster who has the calibre to establish himself as one of the best mainstays of the Indian cricket team in the future. During the now-postponed 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Parag showed a glimpse of his talent and skills but he failed to convert it into something substantial as the young rookie lacked consistency.

RR Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara seemed highly impressed with the 19-year-old’s talent with the willow and ball as he hailed him as a special player. Kumar believes that Parag is a special talent and will contribute massively to the Indian side in the future but he needs proper nurturing and grooming.

“For us, Riyan Parag is a very, very special player, I think he’s got a huge amount to contribute to not just Royals, but also to Indian cricket in future. A very special talent that needs care, nurturing, and development,” Sangakkara said at a webinar organized by RR.

Chetan Sakariya was a revelation for 2008-champions as after making his debut in the T20 Extravaganzza, he managed to impress the who’s who of the cricket fraternity. Chetan made headlines owing to his exploits by the ball and was the second-highest wicket-taker with seven wickets from as many games.

Sanju Samson is quite a free-spirited, very relaxed kind of guy: Kumar Sangakkara

Apart from Sakariya, the other two youngsters including Anuj Rawat and Yashasvi Jaiswal also impressed the Sri Lankan legend as he believes that all three players have a bright future. “Chetan [Sakariya] was a revelation, his attitude, his ability to deal with pressure, and of course, his kill. We had Anuj [Rawat] and Yash [Jaiswal], the two youngsters who have been with the franchise for a very, very long time. 

“And I was thoroughly impressed by all three of them. They actually got a reasonable amount of time in the middle. Unfortunately, in the match that Anuj came into [the side against SRH], he didn’t get a chance to bat but was outstanding with his energy and skill in the field,” Sangakkara elaborated.

Ahead of IPL 2021, Sanju Samson was given the responsibility of leading the Royals. When asked whether the captaincy affected Sanju’s game, Kumar was of the view that Samson is quite free-spirited and enjoyed leading the side.

“I don’t think it changed him at all as a person. He’s quite a free-spirited, very relaxed kind of guy and he tried to get that across to the team and that’s how he wanted us to play as a side. It is really important as a leader to be authentic, and I think Sanju is very much that,” Sangakkara concluded.