Ex-BCCI selector trolls Rajasthan Royals with ‘mediocre’ remark after Kumar Sangakkara, Ravindra Jadeja come on-board
Published - 17 Nov 2025, 06:17 PM | Updated - 17 Nov 2025, 06:19 PM
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Rajasthan Royals have made a bold yet expected move ahead of IPL 2026 by bringing back Kumar Sangakkara as their head coach. However, the Sri Lankan legend will also continue as the Royals’ Director of Cricket for the next edition of the tournament.
Kumar Sangakkara previously served as the Rajasthan Royals head coach from 2021 to 2024, guiding them to the 2022 IPL final and a playoff finish in 2024. After a one-year stint with Rahul Dravid in IPL 2025, the franchise is turning to Sangakkara’s experience to make a strong comeback next year.
Rajasthan Royals go full filmy to announce Kumar Sangakkara as Head Coach ahead of IPL 2026
Apart from the legendary Sri Lankan batter’s fresh appointment as the head coach, the Rajasthan Royals have also reshuffled their coaching staff. Vikram Rathore has been promoted as the Assistant Coach, Shane Bond remains as Bowling Coach, and Trevor Penney and Sid Lahiri returned as the Assistant Coach and Performance Coach, respectively.
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However, the RR are yet to announce their captain for the IPL 2026 after trading Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings (CSK). However, there is buzz that Ravindra Jadeja is likely to be appointed as the Royals’ next captain ahead of the next edition of the tournament.
Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Royals made the announcement of appointing Sangakkara as the head coach in a completely filmy way. In the post, an RR can be seen unveiling the suspense, and then the former Sri Lankan captain made an entry in a car, wearing a pink-colored suit.
Not just that, they also added some AI elements to give it a completely filmy look, and they also added South Indian film Jailer’s title song, ‘Hukum,’ in the background. The Royals captioned the post by saying, “𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒌𝒂 𝑯𝒖𝒌𝒖𝒎 🔥.”
Jatin Paranjape slams Rajasthan Royals as ‘Mediocre’ after cinematic announcement
However, this drama has left many split, with some trolling the franchise for this colorful introduction of the expected head coach. Adding to the twist, the former Indian selector Jatin Paranjape trolled the Rajasthan Royals on social media.
The former Indian all-rounder called RR’s overall approach “mediocre,” taking aim at their staff appointments, team selection strategy, and even marketing efforts. His remarks came after the Royals’ flashy and cinematic-style post for Sangakkara.
Replying to the Royals’ post on X, Jatin Paranjape said, “RR are having a mediocre time of it all across the board—staff choices, team selections, marketing....”
RR are having a mediocre time of it all across the board - staff choices, team selections, marketing.... https://t.co/3m9cGnvx8i
— Jatin Paranjape (@jats72) November 17, 2025
RR owner Manoj Badale backs Kumar Sangakkara to guide the team with experience and calm leadership
Meanwhile, RR’s lead owner, Manoj Badale, believes that Sangakkara’s deep understanding of the team’s culture, leadership skills, and experience with the squad will strengthen the team as they prepare for IPL 2026. He feels Sangakkara’s calm approach and cricketing intelligence will guide the players effectively in this next phase.
Manoj Badale stated, “As we looked at what the team needed at this stage, we felt that his familiarity within the squad, his leadership, and his deep understanding of the Royals culture would bring the right balance of continuity and stability.
Kumar has always had our complete trust as a leader. His clarity, calmness, and cricketing intelligence will play an important role in guiding the squad into this next phase.”
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