IPL 2021: Kumar Sangakkara names pre-T20 era players who would have been huge IPL success

The Indian Premier League has established itself as one of the best short-format franchises-based leagues in the world. While plenty of T20 leagues such as the Big Bash League, Caribbean Premier League, Bangladesh Premier League and Lanka Premier League amongst others have tried to walk on the same ground, the success of IPL remains unmatched.

However, given the T20 format took shape only in the early 2000s, and the leagues only commenced in the late 2000s, plenty of former players were never able to participate in the shortest format. Former Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara in a recent interaction revealed the players he feels would have been brilliant IPL players.

“Going by ability, Aravinda de Silva, Brian Lara, Viv Richards, Gary Sobers, Don Bradman. The list goes on. It’s not just a small group of players. Ian Botham, you know, so many from so many countries who would have done extremely well. The Saeed Anwars, Imran Khans. You can take your pick. The list is long,” Sangakkara told Khaleej Times in an exclusive chat.

Notably, Sangakkara, who has plied his trade in the IPL for Deccan Chargers (now defunct), Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and Sunrisers Hyderabad, is currently associated with Rajasthan Royals in a mentorship capacity.

On being asked about how he feels being an IPL rival of his age-old friend Mahela Jayawardene, who is now with Mumbai Indians as a coach, Sangakkara said: “I don’t think he [Mahela] or I look at it that way. We don’t play against each other, the teams do, the players do, so it’s about what happens out in the middle, it’s not personal. It’s not about trying to get one over someone else. It’s about trying to do the best for your side and getting them ready to win. The side that plays better cricket on the day will win.”

The 14th edition of the IPL, which was postponed due to Covid-19 earlier this year, resumes on September 19 in the UAE. Ahead of the season, Sangakkara revealed Royals’ plan. “We have to win a majority of the seven matches. That’s the simplest way of looking at it, try from game one to see if we can win. We will try to do everything because we are out here to make the playoffs. That’s the big ambition. But to do that, we need to win those games. If you have the games, you have to try and win the majority of them.”