Rajasthan Royals waited until the very last day of the league phase to confirm their place in the IPL 2026 knock-outs, beating Mumbai Indians by 30 runs at the Wankhede. Afterwards, captain Riyan Parag admitted he was never meant to take the field.
“Yeah, I’m definitely not fit… I was not supposed to play today, I’m not supposed to play another game [in this season],” he said, still nursing the hamstring strain that kept him out of the previous fixture. Yet he also insisted, “Yeah, of course,” when asked whether he will turn out in the Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad on 27 March.
Parag’s return provided a visible—if slightly hobbled—lift. His 14 from eight balls was hardly headline material, but his presence appeared to settle a side that had lost three on the bounce. The basic equation was clear: win and carry on, lose and go home. Royals posted 205 for 6, then kept Mumbai to 175 despite a late flurry from Suryakumar Yadav (60 off 42) and Hardik Pandya (34 off 15).
“We should have qualified way earlier,” Parag reflected, the relief only faintly detectable. “We left it a little too late, I think we left a lot on the table. And I feel we’re picking up the slack after losing three games in a row. Hopefully we learn from all our mistakes and we put up a better show.”
That “show” began with a few calculated risks. Promoting Jofra Archer to No. 7 raised eyebrows—Archer responded with a brisk 19 that nudged the total past 200. More telling was Parag’s decision to recall the fast bowler for the 16th over of the chase, a move that accounted for Pandya and drained Mumbai’s momentum.
“I’ve taken a lot of brave calls, actually, this season,” Parag said. “But that’s how I like to lead, that’s how I lead Assam as well. Of course, different level, different things as well, but I feel you’ve got to take your chances. It’s not a gamble, but of course you think about it a lot.”
The captain reserved particular praise for two youngsters who did the heavy lifting with the ball. Left-arm seamer Brijesh Sharma (2 for 26) delivered a tight spell at both ends of the innings, while 19-year-old leg-spinner Yash Raj Punja (2 for 44) removed Rohit Sharma and Tilak Varma just as Mumbai looked set to surge.
“I don’t usually praise them a lot, so they don’t get all bloated and stuff. After today, I think they deserve it,” Parag said. “Brijesh, the way he’s come back, after getting a few games here and there, the way he’s gone for some runs in the last few overs – how he bowled today, how he’s been bowling…
“And Punja, I think [going] from a net bowler to his journey right now, being the lead spinner, I think, remarkable job. I hope they do it for another one game, and then, another two games.”
Whether Parag’s hamstring allows him to shepherd those final steps remains uncertain. Royals’ medical staff will monitor him over the next 48 hours, but the skipper’s own assessment was typically blunt: he intends to play. The Eliminator in Ahmedabad now looms, and—late scramble or not—Royals are still alive.
