Riyan Parag Labelled 'Arrogant' By World Cup Winner: "Playing Because He's Captain"
Riyan Parag missed a significant opportunity to lead from the front on Friday, gifting his wicket for just 3 runs during the clash against RCB.
- Kris Srikkanth feels Riyan Parag's captaincy is the only thing currently keeping him in the RR starting XI
- "Parag is just playing because he is the captain. He got out casually in the name of style," said Srikkanth
- "Played so many seasons and done well only a couple of times. He got out because of arrogance," he added
Former India batter Kris Srikkanth has questioned Riyan Parag's place in Rajasthan Royals (RR)'s playing, slamming the captain's "casual" batting approach in IPL 2026. Parag missed a significant opportunity to lead from the front on Friday, gifting his wicket for just 3 runs during the clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). While RR secured a six-wicket victory thanks to explosive knocks from Dhruv Jurel (81* off 43) and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (78 off 26), Srikkanth was scathing in his assessment of Parag's performance.Â
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former chief selector suggested that Parag's captaincy is the only thing currently keeping him in the starting XI.
"Parag is just playing because he is the captain. Riyan Parag got out casually in the name of style. He has played so many seasons and done well only a couple of times. Today, he got out because of arrogance. He could have shown responsibility and gotten himself back to form, also," said Srikkanth.
The former BCCI chief selector also noted that had Parag taken more responsibility instead of playing a "reckless" stroke, the Royals would have likely closed out the game much earlier.
"Jurel played an effortless knock. Yet, he matched Sooryavanshi shot for shot. He played some extraordinary shots. And Jurel at No.3 is a big thing for them. But they should have won the match in the 16th over itself," he added.
RR defeated RCB by six wickets, extending their unbeaten run to four straight wins while handing the defending champions their first loss of the season.
Chasing 202, RR were led by a blazing 78 off 26 balls from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and an unbeaten 81 from Dhruv Jurel. Their 108-run stand set up a dominant chase, with Ravindra Jadeja also contributing an unbeaten 24 as RR reached the target in 18 overs.
Earlier, RCB posted 201/8, powered by captain Rajat Patidar's 63 and a late cameo from Venkatesh Iyer. Despite early wickets from Jofra Archer and Ravi Bishnoi, RCB recovered to cross 200, but it wasn't enough against RR's powerful batting display.Â
(With ANI Inputs)
Rajasthan Royals