Riyan Parag, captain of the Rajasthan Royals (RR), admitted it’s on him for not steering his team to victory during their tense IPL 2025 clash with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Facing a daunting chase of 207 at Eden Gardens, RR found themselves struggling at 71 for 5 by the eighth over. Despite Parag’s valiant 95 off 45 balls, he fell to Harshit Rana in the 18th over, a critical stage with no boundaries in 16 deliveries and the loss of Shimron Hetmyer. RR fell agonisingly short by a single run, managing 20 runs in a thrilling final over.
Reflecting on his performance, Parag said, “I was just too sad about getting myself out. I planned to stick around until the last two overs. We couldn’t capitalise much during the 16th and 17th, prompting me to accelerate in the 18th. It was probably a miscalculation on my part; I should have wrapped it up.”
Parag showcased his power-hitting skills, smashing six consecutive sixes, including five in a remarkable over off Moeen Ali, a record feat in the IPL. Commenting on his approach, he noted, “It’s a ground where sixes are hit. The ground is very, very fast. So I knew I had my boundaries if I just stood in there. The wicket was a little tricky. It was stopping, it was turning, but I just had to pick my battles and I thought I did that pretty well until the last over which I got out.”
With only three wins from 12 games, RR sit eighth in the standings, missing out on the playoffs. They’ve been on the losing end of tight finishes, including a Super Over defeat to Delhi Capitals and narrow losses against Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. “It’s just how the game is. You’ve got to be clinical, you’ve got to be perfect every single day you step out on the field and we weren’t,” Parag remarked. “So the consequences are here.”
RR’s batting coach, Vikram Rathour, recognised Parag’s dismissal as pivotal. “If he was in there, I am sure he would have finished it off,” Rathour stated. Despite good individual performances, RR has struggled to perform as a cohesive unit. “Most batters have shown form, but it hasn’t come together collectively. We’ve seen good individual bowling spells too. That’s where we have fallen short,” Rathour explained. “I am sure that in the next couple of seasons, we will be a really competitive batting group and team.”
Their retention of Hetmyer over Jos Buttler has faced scrutiny, particularly as Buttler thrives at Gujarat Titans, while Hetmyer endures a lean patch, scoring just 29 in the latest game after a string of low scores. RR’s decision-making in player retention has inevitably come under the microscope with their lacklustre season.
