Chetan Sakariya was a revelation - Sangakkara

Through the 2021 season of the Indian Premier League, Kumar Sangakkara didn't hold back when it came to lavishing praise on young Chetan Sakariya. Rajasthan Royals' newly-appointed director of cricket was mighty impressed by the 23-year-old's ability not just to pick wickets, but to do so at crucial times after being handed the responsibility of bowling with the new ball and in the death. He repaid the faith vested in him too, returning seven wickets in as many games with a best of 3-31, that came on debut. Sangakkara, in an RR webinar on Thursday (May 13), spoke at length about the youngsters in the RR set-up.

"Chetan Sakariya was a revelation," he said, "He's had a tough year since January so far and our love and prayers are with him. His attitude and ability to build pressure and of course his skill. It's wonderful to have him in the side. We have Anuj, Yash, Mahipal, three youngsters who have been with the franchise for a long time and I was very impressed by all three of them. Yash got a reasonable amount of time in the middle, unfortunately the match that Anuj got, he didn't get a chance to bat, but he was outstanding in the field. And Mahi worked really hard in the nets to put his hand up for selection. Those three boys were just outstanding for us.

"Riyan Parag is also a very, very special player. He's got a huge amount to contribute not just to Rajasthan Royals, but also Indian cricket in the future. He's a very special talent that needs care, nurturing and development. We had Kuldip Yadav and Akash Singh the two left-arm fast bowlers who worked extremely hard but didn't get a chance, but they worked extremely hard in the nets and I saw a lot of improvement in them from Day 1 to the time that the tournament was on. Mayank Markande, Chetan Sakariya, highly skilled cricketers... Mayank was touch and go in selection. All of them were very impressive," he added.

RR had a hot and cold season in the first half with three wins from seven games, being placed fifth on the table when the season was suspended due to COVID. When Manoj Badale, RR's owner, was asked about the resumption and what the plans at this stage were, he didn't mince words about how steep a