RR lead owner opens up on appointing Kumar Sangakkara as Head Coach for IPL 2026

Overview

• Manoj Badale was delighted to have Kumar Sangakkara as the Head Coach of Rajasthan Royals for the IPL 2026
• The RR Lead Owner felt the need to have a familiar face as the leader for the new setup
• He felt that Sangakkara's deep understanding of the Royals' culture would help the side in the 19th edition of the biggest cricket league

Manoj Badale was delighted to have Kumar Sangakkara as the Head Coach of Rajasthan Royals for the IPL 2026. The RR Lead Owner felt the need to have a familiar face as the leader for the new setup. He felt that Sangakkara's deep understanding of the Royals' culture would help the side in the 19th edition of the biggest cricket league.

"We are delighted to have Kumar return as Head Coach - as we looked at what the team needed at this stage, we felt that his familiarity within the squad, his leadership & his deep understanding of the Royals culture would bring the right balance of continuity and stability," Badale said after the reappointment of Sangakkara.

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Badale added that Sangakkara has complete trust in the unit and felt it would be important for the Royals in the IPL 2026. "Kumar has always had our complete trust as a leader. His clarity, calmness & cricketing intelligence will play an important role in guiding the squad into this next phase," Badale added.

Rajasthan Royals' key coaching staff members for the IPL 2026

RR announced all of its coaching and other important staff members for the IPL 2026. While Sangakkara is both the Head Coach and the mentor, Vikram Rathour has been named the Lead Assistant Coach to help him.

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Likewise, the legendary pacer, Shane Bond, has been named the Fast Bowling Coach. Trevor Penney is named the Assistant Coach of RR in the 19th edition of the league. Sid Lahiri has been appointed the Performance Coach, completing some of RR's key coaching staff.