2008 IPL champions, Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Sunday announced the appointment of former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara as the director of cricket for the upcoming season. "It's a privilege to be joining the Rajasthan Royals and I am excited about the new challenge. To oversee the cricket strategy of a franchise in the leading cricket competition in the world, as well as building the development programs and cricketing infrastructure that will provide the future foundation of the IPL team's on-field success, is an opportunity that really motivated me," Sangakkara said while commenting on his appointment. "I have really enjoyed speaking to the leadership group over the recent weeks and can't wait to get going. The team includes some of the world's best players and great personalities so it's going to be fun and very exciting to work with this group," he added.
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Newly appointed RR captain Sanju Samson said: "He (Sangakkara) is someone who has had an exceptional cricket career himself and obviously understands the modern game. It's great to have an all-time wicketkeeping great with us, he is someone who's donned many hats, he was a fantastic keeper-batsman, he's led Sri Lanka with grace and class throughout and has done it for years with the Sri Lankan national team across formats.""He's someone who's shown great character both on and off the field and the values that one associate with him are the same which we embody here at Rajasthan Royals. It is wonderful to have someone like him at the helm and is going to be fantastic to learn from him. I can't wait to get started and work with him in the coming seasons," Samson added. Sangakkara is also the president of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). He has also been involved as a mentor with teams in T20 leagues, after retiring from international cricket. The Rajasthan-based franchise recently announced the appointment of Sanju Samson as the team's new skipper. Former captain Steve Smith has been released from the squad ahead of IPL 2021 auctions. Rajasthan have traded Robin Uthappa to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in an all-cash deal.
