New Delhi: In the high-stakes ecosystem of the Indian Premier League (IPL), managing young talent burdened with multi-faceted responsibilities is one of the toughest challenges for any modern coach.
Ahead of the Rajasthan Royals’ crucial game against the Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Kumar Sangakkara, RR’s head coach and director of cricket, provided an expansive masterclass into how the franchise navigates the development of its young captain, Riyan Parag.
In a major boost for the inaugural champions as they look to solidify their playoff credentials, Sangakkara confirmed that the team expects Parag to be fully fit from a hamstring niggle and be ready to lead the side from the front.
Parag was back batting in the nets after a hamstring niggle ruled him out of RR's last game against the Gujarat Titans, which they lost by 77 runs. Parag has averaged just 23, and his one good knock, ironically, came against DC, when he cracked 90 in Jaipur.
“We were expecting him to be fully fit and ready. I think Riyan has three roles. One is captain, leader, and batter. Every single time, he's got to separate the three a little bit. Captaincy and leadership go a little bit more hand-in-hand, whereas batting, he just has to enjoy his batting as Riyan Parag, the batter.
“You saw in the Kings game and then in the game after that against DC how well he did in terms of his execution, his real short skill, and situational awareness. Those are three key things for a batter. Unfortunately, he had a little hamstring niggle after that game, so he couldn't really continue that momentum. But every game is an opportunity for him to do that, and he's one of our best batters by far.
“So I have no issues with his skill, and the conversation is all about just making sure that you are batting as Riyan Parag, the batter. You don't captain when you bat. I thought his captaincy this season has been excellent - very, very good. He's learning very quickly. He's making some good, great decisions out there,” said Sangakkara in the pre-match press conference.
Stepping into RR’s captaincy brings intense scrutiny, but Sangakkara revealed that Parag has displayed an exceptionally mature appetite for self-improvement. “But also, he's got a process for when plans are set, and how to follow them. He has a lot of time with the players and the bat group staff to try and get his plans right. IANS
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