New Delhi: Deccan Chargers skipper Kumar Sangakkara has been amongst one of the flops of this year’s Indian Premier League, but that does make him any lesser a champion that he always was, feels Coach Darren Lehmann.
"He is a champion and our captain and has done a wonderful job behind the scenes. Obviously he would have liked more runs but we have a special man, who looks after all the players. I'm sure he'll turn his form around in the near future."
Sangakkara, captain of the Sri Lankan national side was the most dependable batsmen of the Chargers outfit but he could not stand up to it and scored only 118 of 11 matches at an average of 18.He scored only one half century in the tournament.
When asked about his team’s dismal run in the tournament where they have won only two matches out of the 14 they have played so far, Lehmann said that they could not execute their plans properly and paid a price for that. “We have missed a lot of opportunities when we should have taken them. It is about getting our basics right and that is what we have to do better," added Lehmann on the sidelines of a coaching clinic held by their sponsors Emirates.
Lehmann said that as a coach he is happy with the way the younger players in the side have performed and it is good that they are learning from their mistakes. "Younger guys are learning, the more experience they get the better they become in those situations. As long as they learn from their mistakes as a coach I am happy.I want our players to have fun. There is a lot passion for cricket in India but it still has to be fun. If you are enjoying the game and playing entertaining brand of cricket then you can play well. Our boys train harder than anyone else so I am happy with that," said Lehmann.
Lehmann however admitted that things could have worked their way had they not crumbled under pressure and lost out of close games. They lost five matches which went all the way to the last over.
Meanwhile their star batsmen Jean Paul Duminy said that they did not have much luck in this year’s tournament and had that been the situation then they would have been at a much better position. “We have had very little luck coming our way. In this game you make your own luck, we have been in some close situations. Four or five times we have been involved in last ball finishes and it hasn't gone our way," said Duminy.
