"Just There For Style": Riyan Parag Blasted Yet Again By World Cup-Winner Kris Srikkanth
Riyan Parag once again became the prime target of criticism for Kris Srikkanth, a World Cup-winner in 1983.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) might be among the most consistent franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, but skipper Riyan Parag hasn't hit the right chord with Kris Srikkanth, a World Cup winner with the 1983 team for India. Srikkanth, who has been critical of Parag's performances and personality for a long time, once again hit out at the Assam-born all-rounder. Srikkanth lambasted Parag, saying he is there "just for style", and criticised him for not giving Ravindra Jadeja a single over to bowl.
Jadeja, one of the pillars of the Royals squad in the IPL 2026 season, surprisingly, didn't get to bowl against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Monday. While Parag said that the decision was down to Hyderabad's left-handers' heavy batting line-up, Srikkanth called the reasoning absolutely absurd.
"He's only there for style. As usual, he did nothing with the bat and spoke at the post-match presentation. He's just there for style and does nothing else. He doesn't bowl Jadeja an over and then offers an explanation that a left-hander was playing. Is there some rule that a left-arm spinner can't bowl to a left-hander? It's absurd," Srikkanth said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Though the Royals have 4 wins in 5 matches, Srikkanth warned them about their misfiring Indian bowling line-up. He feels the below-par performance from Riyan Parag explains why he didn't use Ravindra Jadeja as a bowler against SRH played a big role in RR's defeat against SRH. He warned the franchise to quickly correct that or risk thrashing in the upcoming matches.
"The 11 overs between Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, and Ravi Bishnoi went for 142 runs. That's where the match was over. Wherever Sandeep Sharma bowled, they smashed him, and Deshpande was a total failure. Suddenly, RR also has to start thinking about their bowling combination. If they bowl like this, they'll receive a thrashing," said Srikkanth.
Rajasthan Royals
Sunrisers Hyderabad