Jaipur, May 1 (PTI) Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara said the fines his team members, including skipper Riyan Parag, have copped for two off-field incidents do not reflect well on the team.
On Thursday, Parag was fined 25 per cent of his match fee for vaping inside the dressing room during the game against Punjab Kings. He was found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute.
This was after team manager Romi Bhinder was fined Rs one lakh for a PMOA protocol breach related to the use of his phone in the dugout earlier in the season.
“I think it is, of course, a reflection that is not positive on the team, a controversy of any kind,” Sangakkara said ahead of the game against Delhi Capitals.
“All I can say is that both those (incidents) have been addressed by the BCCI and the franchise. And then in terms of the culture, we always try to have a very positive healthy culture. We have our own values we adhere to. And the constant reminder to the players is to make sure they’re responsible to the franchise and to our culture and our values.” In a statement on Thursday, the BCCI said it is exploring stringent action also against Rajasthan Royals after penalising Parag.
Parag, who was named the Royals captain this season, has not had the best of times as a batter but Sangakkara came to his defence.
“I think he’s done really well as a captain. And also in the last game, his little innings is what really shifted the momentum our way. He was fearless, he went out there in tough conditions and really brought the (required) rate and momentum back in our favour.
“Those are the impactful innings that I want to see from Riyan. His skill with the bat is not questionable at all. And sometimes it takes a while as a batter to get in.
“So all I want to do is enjoy his batting and you can’t bat like a captain. You have to bat like Riyan Parag, the batter, and you’re only captaining when you’re fielding,” he said. PTI BS APA APA
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