Justin Langer had smiled before his coaching return with IPL side Lucknow Super Giants that he had slept peacefully in the two years since his reign with Australia's men's team had ended in acrimony.
"Now I will have sleepless nights in fitting so much talent in just 11 slots," grinned the former star opener as he pondered the international riches available to him in his new job.
All very well, but the former Australian opener might have had trouble getting forty winks on Sunday night, fretting about how his side ended up getting well beaten by 20 runs by Rajasthan Royals in their opening clash of the season in Jaipur.
Captain Sanju Samson was the hero for the home side, batting through their 20 overs to finish on 82 not out as Rajasthan reached a formidable 4-193.
In reply, Langer's side could only end up on 6-173, with West Indian Nicholas Pooran’s 64no and skipper KL Rahul's 58 off 44 balls proving in vain.
An old trans-Tasman rival Trent Boult did most to ruin the Lucknow chase, the New Zealand pacer's 2-35 having featured two key early breakthroughs, getting rid of Quinton de Kock and Devdutt Padikkal as the visitors slumped to 3-11 in 3.1 overs.
Rahul scored yet another IPL fifty, and Lucknow had a chance with 49 runs still needed off the last four overs but when he was out caught straight after a timeout break, the Super Giants slumped.
Langer's Australian allround ace Marcus Stoinis was caught on the boundary trying to hoik veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin into the midwicket stands, out for just three off his four balls.
