Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara was effusive in his praise for Chetan Sakariya, conceding that he was surprised with the way the young left-arm rose to the occasion in IPL 2021.
Sakariya picked seven wickets in seven matches for RR and conceded 8.22 runs an over. His proclivity for yorkers and the array of well-disguised variations kept batsmen on a leash.
Sakariya ran in at full throttle and gave it his all irrespective of the match situation, something which caught the Sri Lankan legend’s eye.
"Chetan Sakariya was a revelation. His attitude and ability to build pressure and of course his skill. It's wonderful to have him in the side," Sangakkara said during a webinar conducted by the franchise on Thursday.
Sakariya has had to deal with a lot of emotional trauma at a tender age as he lost his father and brother in quick succession this year. "He's had a tough year since January so far and our love and prayers are with him," commiserated Sangakkara.
Sakariya was snapped by the RR franchise for Rs 1.2 crore at the mini-auction this year after having spent time at the Royal Challengers Bangalore nets in IPL 2020 in the UAE. Thanks to his wonderful exploits in the IPL, the wiry speedster now holds a slim chance of making it to India’s second-string squad for the tour of Sri Lanka in July.
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