Riyan Parag and Rajasthan Royals were rewarded for staying calm under pressure and implementing their tactics during Saturday’s trip to Ahmedabad. The former champions successfully defended the target of 210 with Tushar Deshpande nailing his yorkers in the finale of a thriller that went down to the wire at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Ravi Bishnoi earlier pulled things back, picking up four wickets as Sai Sudharsan, who hit a classy 73, threatened to take the game away. In the end, however, it was Deshpande’s composure at the death that carried Royals over the line.
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With an eight-wicket hammering of Chennai Super Kings in Guwahati followed by this latest win against Shubman Gill-less Gujarat Titans, Rajasthan Royals have surged to the top of the table with four points from their first two matches.
In the end, it was a decision under pressure and young Riyan Parag, in his first season as full-time captain and amid all the chatter surrounding his appointment, proved his mettle. With two overs remaining, he had four strong options: Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, yorker specialist Sandeep Sharma and Tushar Deshpande, who has built a reputation during his time with Chennai Super Kings.
Parag first turned to Tushar in the 19th over only to change his mind at the last minute.
He threw the ball to Archer.
Riding on a spirited lower-order partnership between Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan, Gujarat reduced the equation to 15 off the last two overs.
Archer then had a great performance, giving up just four runs and setting it up perfectly for the finish.
When Parag finally handed the ball to Tushar and picked him ahead of Sandeep and Burger, the Mumbai pacer responded in style. He nailed his yorkers again and again, denying Rashid and Rabada any room to free their arms.
In the end, the final over yielded just four runs as Rajasthan sealed six runs
A TALE OF TWO HALFS
Earlier in the evening, Rajasthan Royals combined well to post a challenging total of 210. After the young and exciting opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi added 70 for the first wicket, the middle order struggled to maintain the pace. At No.3, Dhruv Jurel did more than steady the innings, producing an eye-catching 75 off 45 balls as Rajasthan’s effort became a tale of two halves.
Vaibhav was once again in his fighting strength, making his intention known from the very beginning. In the opener, he faced senior Indian pacer and T20 World Cup winner Mohammed Siraj, hitting two boundaries. He continued where he left off earlier in the week in Guwahati where he smashed a 17-ball 52 against Chennai Super Kings.
Unlike that outing, where he played a supporting role in a low-scoring chase, Jaiswal was aggressive from the start in Ahmedabad. He ensured Rajasthan attacked from both ends during the powerplay, taking on Siraj with two boundaries and a six in the third over.
Against two left-handed openers, the bowlers had little room for error. Kagiso Rabada quickly found out as Vaibhav deftly opened the face of the bat to drive a short delivery over point for four in the fourth over. The 15-year-old showed that his game is not only built on power but also on touch and timing, qualities that have made him one of the most talked about young cricketers since his debut last year.
Gujarat express pacer Ashok Sharma was also taken over and delivered a boundary and a six as Vaibhav continued to play with fearless intent against high pace. By the end of the over, Rajasthan had raced to 69 for no loss, laying a strong platform for the rest of the batting line-up.
Vaibhav looked set for another big score but stand-in skipper Rashid Khan changed the course of the innings. The Afghan chopper hit one short and squeezed the left-hander’s place. Vaibhav could only hit it straight to Glenn Phillips at deep mid-wicket.
There was a sense of relief among the Gujarat Titans supporters as the Sooryavanshi attack, which threatened to take the game away early, was stopped before it could fully develop.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
04 Apr 2026 23:46 IST
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