Former Indian cricket captain Kris Srikkanth has raised concerns about Rajasthan Royals’ captain Riyan Parag, questioning his capabilities and performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Srikkanth’s criticism came after Rajasthan Royals suffered their first defeat of the season, a 57-run loss to SunRisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad. This loss ended their three-match winning streak.
Despite Rajasthan Royals’ strong start to the season, Srikkanth expressed skepticism about Parag’s leadership and his ability to deliver consistently in the IPL. Srikkanth, on his YouTube show, remarked, “He seems more focused on style. He came in to bat, got out early, spoke at the presentation ceremony, and left. It’s all about style for him. He hasn’t shown much else.”
Srikkanth also criticized Parag’s decision-making as captain, particularly in managing the bowling attack. He found it puzzling that Ravindra Jadeja, the team’s most experienced bowler, did not bowl a single over. Srikkanth questioned why Parag chose not to utilize Jadeja and instead explained the decision by saying they targeted Ravi Bishnoi due to a left-hander in the opposition team.
In the match, SunRisers Hyderabad faced early setbacks but recovered well with a strong innings led by Ishan Kishan, who scored 91 off 44 balls. Supporting contributions from Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy helped the team post a competitive total of 216.
Rajasthan Royals, known for their explosive batting in previous matches, were stifled by the impressive performance of two debutant pacers, Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain. Praful, a medium pacer from Nagpur, made a significant impact by taking three wickets, including that of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the first over. Sakib Hussain continued the pressure by dismissing Yaashavi Jaiswal early on.
Despite efforts from Ravindra Jadeja and Donnovan Ferreira to stabilize the innings, the early collapse proved too much for Rajasthan Royals. Sakib Hussain’s strong spell in the middle overs, especially his dismissal of Ferreira, who was scoring aggressively, further added to their woes.
Srikkanth praised SunRisers Hyderabad’s young bowling unit and lauded Ishan Kishan’s captaincy. He highlighted Praful Hinge’s impactful performance in the early overs, leading to a victory for SunRisers Hyderabad.
With newfound confidence, SunRisers Hyderabad will face Chennai Super Kings in their next IPL 2026 match on Saturday, April 18.