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3 min readUpdated: Apr 26, 2026 04:56 PM IST
Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag in action during IPL 2026 match against SRH in Jaipur. (CREIMAS FOR IPL)
Former Indian players Zaheer Khan and Virender Sehwag questioned Riyan Parag’s captaincy after Rajasthan Royals lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad. The defeat was Rajasthan’s third loss in their last four matches and came in their first game at their home ground, the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
After beginning the IPL 2026 season with four straight wins, Rajasthan Royals’ campaign has seemingly derailed following three losses in the next four games. On Saturday, teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s 36-ball ton went in vain as Hyderabad handed RR a five-wicket defeat. Despite posting a strong total of 228 after batting first, RR let the game slip away as SRH chased down the target with 1.3 overs to spare.
Parag introduced his frontline spinners Ravi Bishnoi and Ravindra Jadeja only after the 10th over and replaced them with pacers after giving them just one over each. Criticising the move, veteran pacer Zaheer Khan said, “You cannot discard a player after just one over, because the only way you could be in the match was by taking wickets, and you get that opportunity from somewhere or the other.”
“You can put more pressure on the new batter and get a few dot balls as well. So, I think Riyan Parag should learn from this. He always says that he goes to the analyst after the game and all that.”
“You have to think about which bowlers you trust when you have such a big target, knowing the match will go until the end. Even if your main bowlers go for runs, it does not make much difference. Your chances of taking wickets come from there only. So, I think he made a mistake today by using too many options,” added Zaheer.
Bishnoi was struck for three boundaries, leaking 16 runs off his solitary over, while Jadeja went for 11 runs.
Parag’s form with the bat has also been abysmal, with the skipper struggling to score runs this season. But it is his decision-making on the ground in his very first season as a full-time captain that is under the scanner. Explosive Indian opener Sehwag said the Rajasthan management will need to think whether Parag is the right fit for captaincy.
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Sehwag said on Cricbuzz, “Ravi Bishnoi bowled one over, and Ravindra Jadeja also bowled only one over. Neither of them are bad. They were not given a chance to bounce back after their first over. Sometimes they get hit, but you should at least try them for a second over. Who will get you wickets if not them? Part-timers only come in thinking how to get through the over. Riyan Parag will have to think about his captaincy, and the management will have to think whether he is the right captain for them.”
“If I am a captain, and I am not scoring runs, 100 percent it will affect my captaincy. I will be thinking about my runs, and also thinking that Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored 100 runs off 36 balls. Even though I am senior and experienced, why am I not scoring runs like that?” he added.
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