NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals team director
Kumar Sangakkara
has reflected on what he described as a "great season" for the team, despite a disappointing end that saw them miss out on the IPL final.
Sangakkara attributed the Qualifier 2 loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad to a "little bit of panic" during the chase, which ultimately denied Rajasthan a chance to compete for the title.
Trent Boult
's early breakthroughs had given Rajasthan a strong start in the second qualifier, helping to restrict Sunrisers Hyderabad to 175/9 at the
MA Chidambaram Stadium
in Chennai.
However, Rajasthan's batting faltered under pressure, resulting in a 36-run defeat as they managed only 139/7 in their chase.
Reflecting on the match, Sangakkara said, "Wicket turned a little bit probably, but I think a little bit of panic and not building enough partnerships past that first wicket cost us the game." He noted that losing wickets in clusters was a critical factor in their loss.
Rajasthan had a promising season, securing a top two position in the league table for most of the season. They won eight of their first nine matches but then lost momentum, losing four of their last five games, including one washout.
Despite this, Sangakkara remained positive about the team's performance throughout the season, stating, "All the guys, throughout the season played really phenomenal cricket."
The Royals missed the presence of their star opener
Jos Buttler
, who had returned home along with other England players ahead of the play-offs to prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Buttler had been instrumental in Rajasthan's success, hitting two centuries and being a key player in their chases. His absence was felt as his replacement, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, struggled to make an impact in the critical matches.
"We always say that the best ability is availability and unfortunately we lost Jos," Sangakkara said. "He is a big loss without a doubt. When you're in a playoff like this and you've got that start without Jos, we expect the other batters to also step up."
Despite the setback, Sangakkara insisted that the team had a "great season." He emphasized that reaching the play-offs and being in contention for the finals was a significant achievement.
"All we can do is put ourselves in positions of play-offs and vying for finals, which we did," he told reporters.
Rajasthan Royals' campaign came to an end with the defeat, while Sunrisers Hyderabad moved on to face Kolkata Knight Riders in the final on Sunday.
(With inputs from AFP)
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