Game will survive the politics: Sangakkara

Hyderabad: Sunrisers Hyderabad Captain Kumar Sangakkara on Monday blasted at the political ruckus and the heat it has generated and has prevented Sri Lankan players to participate in the Chennai leg of the sixth edition of Indian Premier League (IPL), which takes-off on Wednesday. "We are here for the love of the game and will not be affected by the whims and fancies of politicians. These people do not know the spirit of the game, which they have been damaging with their statements in the past couple of weeks," Sangakkara said on arrival in the city. He also asserted that Chennai is not the whole nation and only a part of India. "Everyone wants us to play in their respective franchisee headquarters. Why should we opt out of playing in the extravaganza," was his pointed poser. The Sunrisers captain criticized World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga for daring the Lankans to walk-out of the League. He said, "If it was a nation versus nation then we needed to look at more pragmatically, including a rethink on the participation. It is not at all related to any bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka. So what is wrong in playing in IPL?" He added that foreign policies cannot be dictated by a single person. On the tournament front, Sangakkara, who forms the mainstay of the debutant's progress, expressed optimism that Sunrisers will have a tremendous season this time. Putting a lot of confidence on Ishanth Sharma, who was ruled out of the last season with an injury, he said that Sharma, along with Dale Steyn, will be the key players. He, however, rued that "Shikhar Dhawan will not be available for almost half the tournament, which is a big blow to us. We will miss big knocks." Sangakkara and Cameron White joined the team on Monday while Parthiv Patel is expected to reach Hyderabad by Tuesday. Steyn will arrive on Wednesday, two days before their first match against Pune Warriors on April 5.