Riyan Parag’s gutsy call at the death not only sealed a dramatic win for Rajasthan Royals but also earned praise from former India cricketers Ravi Shastri and Irfan Pathan.
Defending 211 in Ahmedabad, Royals looked to be firmly in control for most of the chase before Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada turned the game on its head. The pair struck with a strike rate close to 200, pulling Gujarat Titans back into contention and reducing the equation to 15 needed off the last 12 balls.
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At this stage, Parag faced a crucial call. With Jofra Archer and Tushar Deshpande available, he decided to give Archer the 19th over and keep Deshpande back for the final over.
This step proved to be decisive.
Archer’s over went for just four runs, built on hard lengths and sharp pace that pushed both batsmen into place. Rashid and Rabada were restricted to singles, no boundaries, taking the equation from 15 off 12 to 11 off the final over.
With the pressure recalibrated, Deshpande was seen after the death. He hammered his yorkers consistently, conceding just five runs while removing Rashid, as The Royals secured the victory in six innings in what briefly looked like a slide contest.
SHASTRI, PATHAN HEAL THE CALL
Shastri was quick to highlight the quality of the competition and the composure shown by Parag at that moment.
“Simply one of the best games in IPL history. Archive this one! You have great composure and a great future ahead of you, especially in a leadership role. Excellent temperament. Well played!”
Meanwhile, Pathan dissected the decision from a tactical point of view and pointed out how the order of overs affected the result.
“I was really impressed with Riyan Parag’s leadership. Big call to decide whether Archer bowls the 19th or the last and he nailed it.”
“He backed up a more experienced bowler with a lot of pace in the penultimate game and it completely stopped the game. That’s where games are won.”
MOMENTS BUILT ON EXPERIENCES
For Parago, the call wasn’t just instinctive, but reflected a journey that unfolded over several seasons with the Royals. Debuting in 2019he played over 80 games for the franchise and scored over 1500 runs at a strike rate of over 140.
His breakthrough came in 2024 when he amassed 573 runs at a pace of 149.22, followed by another strong season where he scored 393 runs at an even more aggressive pace of 166.53. These performances underlined his development from a promising youngster into a reliable representative of the middle order.
He now leads the party, Paragu he made it clear that his focus was firmly on team success. Moments like the one in Ahmedabad, where reading the game and trusting the bowler made the difference, reflect this shift.
And as the reactions from Shastri and Pathan suggest, it’s a leadership trait that’s already starting to emerge.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
05 Apr 2026 05:00 IST
