Riyan Parag Reflects on Rajasthan Royals' Narrow Loss to Kolkata Knight Riders
Rajasthan Royals Captain's Disappointment
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India] May 4: Riyan Parag, the captain of Rajasthan Royals (RR), shared his feelings of disappointment following his team's loss to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday.
Parag expressed regret over his dismissal, believing he could have secured a victory for his team. He stated, “I felt really sad about getting out. It was probably a miscalculation on my part; I should have finished the game. We could have explored better strategies in the last six overs. They were at around 120 or 130 runs, and our spinners performed admirably. The match was within our grasp,” he mentioned during the post-match presentation.
He acknowledged a misjudgment in managing his bowlers' overs and lamented not being able to close out the match, suggesting that there were better alternatives available in the final overs.
“We should have clinched this victory. Regarding bowling Madhwal when Russell was just starting his innings, I aimed to avoid back-to-back bowling changes, but now it seems we could have approached it differently. We must credit Russell for his performance; he took his time and accelerated brilliantly. This ground is known for sixes, and I was aware of my boundaries if I remained at the crease. The wicket was gripping slightly, and I had to choose my battles wisely, but I felt I could have finished it. You need to be precise and clinical, and we fell short, leading to this outcome,” he added.
Despite a remarkable 95 runs from Riyan Parag, the defending champions KKR managed to hold their composure, leaving RR just one run short at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
In pursuit of 207 runs, RR found themselves at 71/5, but a significant 92-run partnership between Parag and Shimron Hetmyer, along with explosive performances from Shubham Dubey and Jofra Archer, nearly brought them victory. However, the duo was unable to complete a double on the final ball, which would have sent the match into a Super Over.
Currently, KKR sits in sixth place with five wins and five losses, totaling 10 points, while RR is in eighth place with three wins and nine losses, accumulating six points.