"He is a natural born leader"– Kumar Sangakkara backs Sanju Samson, but issues IPL 2021 warning

Kumar Sangakkara has expressed his excitement at the prospect of working with Sanju Samson this season. The Rajasthan Royals’ Director of Cricket claimed that Samson was a natural leader.

Sanju Samson will lead the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2021. Although the Kerala star has captained at the domestic level, this will be his first time captaining an IPL franchise.

A fan asked Kumar Sangakkara whether he was excited to work with the 26-year-old, to which the Sri Lanka legend answered in the affirmative.

“Very excited. He is such a great player and a natural-born leader. He has basically grown up in the RR family. It is really exciting for me and everyone to have him as our leader, as our captain,” Sangakkara said.

𝑆𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑡 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑠 ☺️#HallaBol | #RoyalsFamily | @IamSanjuSamson pic.twitter.com/fRUm3arUee

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) March 26, 2021

Although Rajasthan Royals have players like Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, their Indian contingent is inexperienced compared to other teams.

The franchise struggled for form last year, finishing in eighth place. Discussing Sanju Samson’s captaincy, Kumar Sangakkara admitted IPL 2021 will be no walk in the park.

“It is not going to be an easy season, he has a lot on his shoulders. But he is a mature young man, capable of delivering the goods as a leader, and also as one of our leading superstar batsmen,” he added.

Kumar Sangakkara wants RR to trust their philosophy

Stop what you're doing and watch @KumarSanga2 time it to perfection with his answers to your questions! 😁#HallaBol | #RoyalsFamily pic.twitter.com/UGFy2mKV6j

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) March 31, 2021

As mentioned earlier, Rajasthan Royals struggled for form last season, while also not having a settled outfit. Ahead of IPL 2021, Kumar Sangakkara explained how we would try and change the team's mindset this season.

“It is about training really well. About giving them the right information and giving them the confidence and the trust that once we are set on a cricketing philosophy for the season, in the way we play, in the way we relate to each other, in the way we try and execute game plans and to send the message that making a mistake in the pursuit of that is absolutely fine,” thr 43-year-old said.

As Director of Cricket, Kumar Sangakkara is responsible for overseeing the entire Royals cricketing ecosystem, from auction plans and team strategy to coaching structure.

Find everything you need to know about the RR coach here.

Sangakkara wants his side to stick to their philosophy irrespective of the results.

“We learn from our mistakes and move on, but we don’t take a backward step. That conversation, that trust has to be built very quickly this season and it something we won’t compromise on,” he added.

Rajasthan Royals will open their IPL 2021 campaign against Punjab Kings in Mumbai on April 12. For full IPL 2021 timetable click here.