Jaipur, March 19 (IANS) Head coach Kumar Sangakkara addressed the players and motivated them with his words as the Rajasthan Royals began preparations for the 19th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which will commence on March 28.

Sangakkara explained his inclusive approach to coaching, where every player can speak about their concerns and give suggestions. According to the coach, the preparation camp gives a better opportunity to the team management and the players to know each other and work towards a common goal.

“Okay, guys, some of us have been here before, some for many years, some for one year, some of you are new, right? So first things first, it’s a great opportunity to just start talking to each other and getting to know each other, right? That’s how we start into a season. Number two is to ease yourself into practice, right? We’ll introduce ourselves one-on-one tomorrow, but talk to the coaches, tell us what you need, we will tell you what you need or what we need from you, not what you need, but what we need from you,” Sangakkara said in a video released by Rajasthan Royals on X.

“It’s always a nice collaboration, it’s a partnership, right? That’s how we all do things, okay? I like a relaxed attitude, I like people having fun, I like people talking, smiling, but when you’re doing work, remember we all need to get something out of the time we’re here,” he added.

Former Sri Lankan batter advised the team to use the practice time smartly and also remained hopeful for an amazing season with a team having some new faces.

“Use it smartly; you don’t need to practice too long, you don’t need to be too short, you need to be right so that everyone gets what they want and what they need, but it’s really great to see you,” he said.

“I look forward to a wonderful season. I look forward to getting to know all of you, and we’re going to be a tight, tight group. Okay, that’s all I have, man,” Sangakkara concluded.

According to the 20-match schedule released by the BCCI, Rajasthan Royals will start their campaign against five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 30 in Guwahati. The Riyan Parag-led side will face the Gujarat Titans (GT) in their next match on April 4 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

The inaugural champions will then have back-to-back home matches in Guwahati against the Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 7 and 10, respectively.

–IANS

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