Rajasthan Royals sit atop the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 standings, with 4 wins in their first 6 matches. Though the franchise has one of the most potent squads in the T20 league, there remain a few players on the roster who are yet to prove their worth. One of those players who hasn't yet fulfilled his potential is all-rounder Riyan Parag. In fact, many feel that it was Parag's sluggish 12-ball 15 against Lucknow Super Giants that took the match away from the Royals on Wednesday.
Having become a target for fans on social media, Parag also courted criticism from former India head coach Ravi Shastri who questioned his intent after he scored just 4 runs in the first 8 balls despite coming out to bat in the final phase of the chase.
"They lost Samson, they lost Buttler and Jaiswal but still they had enough, a lot of depth. I think that period of play when Riyan Parag came in and the way he played his first eight balls changed the course of the match. Padikkal, at the other end, lost his rhythm as well," Shastri said during commentary, as per India Today.
"Runs started coming in singles and there was a period of 28 balls that stage without a boundary. When you go through that much time without a boundary, you are asking for trouble," the former India head coach further said.
Even former England captain Kevin Pietersen was critical of the Royals all-rounder.
"They knew what they were chasing. Luckily, they are on top of the table and they will learn a lot from this defeat. They will learn about the changes in their batting unit. Parag was given the responsibility, they watched how he played. They had such a strong batting lineup. They could have gone for the kill much earlier," Pietersen opined.
Riya's place in the team has been questioned by many. His unbeaten knock of 15 runs against Lucknow was his highest in the campaign so far.