'He carried iPad to every team meeting, took notes' - Kumar Sangakkara on Daryl Mitchell's consistent hard work

Former Sri Lankan batter and Rajasthan Royals (RR), coach Kumar Sangakkara spoke about New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell’s methods as a player and involvement in the team. Sangakkara said that the New Zealander, during the Indian Premier League (IPL), took notes, asked genuine questions, and was heavily involved in team meetings.

The RR coach opined that the way Mitchell carried himself in a bio-bubble for over two months and the hard work he put in during training sessions despite not getting much playing time was “top class”. Mitchell was signed by RR for the 2022 IPL season and went on to play in two games. 

“He carried his iPad to every team meeting, took notes, and asked questions. It wasn’t asking questions for the sake of asking questions, he was heavily involved. The way he carried himself, in a bio-bubble for over two months, the hard work he put in at the nets despite playing two matches, it was top-class,” Sangakkara spoke on his methods as quoted by India Today.

Daryl Mitchell rescues New Zealand yet again in the England tour

Mitchell has been the silver lining in the ongoing New Zealand tour of England, which the visitors trail by 2-0 in a three-match Test series. He is the highest run-scorer of the team with 482 runs in five innings with three hundreds and a fifty and a top score of 190. 

In the first innings of the third Test match, he came in when the Black Caps were struggling at 83 for four. He scored his third hundred of the series and revived the New Zealand innings, helping them score a respectable total of 329. It was also his partnership of 120 runs with wicketkeeper-batter Tom Blundell for the sixth wicket that saved the day for the Kiwis.

England spinner Jack Leach was the pick of English bowlers, bagging five wickets in 38.3 overs, along with senior pacer Stuart Broad, who picked up three wickets. England’s start to their first innings did not go as planned as pacer Trent Boult ripped through the top order, dismissing the top three in less than seven overs with only 17 runs on board. However, they steading their innings later in the day.