Rajasthan Royals are one of the few Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises without a single player from Suryakumar Yadav's World Cup-winning squad that has raised the bar in T20 cricket to a different plane. Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants are, of course, the other two in a similar position.

But coach Kumar Sangakkara believes the Royals have enough depth to make up for the absence of World Cup stars. "It is what it is," said the Royals coach.

"India played amazingly well in the World Cup. I am more interested in the players that we have, rather than the players we don't have. For me, looking at my squad, there are certainly enough good Indian players, who probably played in both World Cup sides. Competition for places in India is very intense, and many of our players are on the fringes, trying to break into the side.

"But purely in terms of skill, we have tremendous depth. Players like Jofra Archer, who has just returned from the World Cup, add further strength. Looking at it from a squad perspective, I believe we are very well balanced and have enough quality to compete with any side in any conditions."

Sangakkara was speaking at a pre-season media conference in Jaipur on Thursday. "We can have all the bases covered, everything done, and now it's real hard work where we try to get them all together, really believe in each other, and then really prepare well to start playing against the opposition. At the end of the day, the proof of the pudding and the strategy score is how they perform."

The Royals had Sanju Samson, the player of the World Cup, in their squad, but he moved to Chennai Super Kings in a pre-season trade. The Royals management has acknowledged that the former captain is irreplaceable.

"If you talk about Sanju bhaiya, we never think about replacing the kind of player he is. We can perhaps look for someone with a similar skillset or have someone bat in his position. It's like there is no replacement for Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, and in the same way, there is no replacement for Sanju bhaiya because he is such a good player," said Riyan Parag, the franchise's new captain.

The Royals also have a rising star in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has been making waves since his IPL debut last year. His 175 in the final of the Under-19 World Cup is just one example. Parag said the youngster will be encouraged to enjoy his cricket and not be burdened with media responsibilities.

"I feel that what he has done over the last one year is something very few young players have managed. Wherever he goes, he is scoring runs, and it's great to see that. It's not about making the IPL or anything like that - for India, as a cricketing nation, having an opener of such quality at such a young age speaks volumes. It reflects both our diversity and the immense talent in the country.

"As far as his role is concerned, my message to him would be simple - don't get overwhelmed by the attention. Avoid too many media interactions, just enjoy the game. Let him be. He is only 15-16 years old. Let him play his cricket. He is doing very well and has the potential to make the country proud," Parag said.

Parag also outlined his plans for the season.

"This year, the focus is to plan better and finish games, which we couldn't do in the previous edition. I feel we have to plan well. Last year, there were about five-six games that we lost in the last over or even on the last ball.

"Had we been able to convert those, or had we calculated better or even hit one more four or six, this question would not have been asked because we would have qualified (for the playoffs) by winning those matches. I think that in every T20 game, there are 3-4 decisions that you have to make which change the course of the game.

"I know in a 40-over game, there are a lot of small decisions, as well as major ones like who will bat where and what we will do after winning the toss. If we make those small decisions with better strategy and planning, this year will be different."