Riyan Parag admitted that his decision to not use Ravindra Jadeja with the ball was a “split second” call as Rajasthan Royals went down to Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad.
The call became a major talking point after Rajasthan allowed SRH to post 216 for 6, with Jadeja not bowling a single over despite conditions offering some assistance to slower bowlers later in the innings.
Explaining the decision, Parag pointed to the match situation and the impact of Ishan Kishan, who was in dominant touch during the middle overs.
“Jaddu bhai, I don’t know, it was just a split second decision. Ishan was batting really well, so I didn’t want to take that chance,” Parag said, adding that he chose to persist with other options instead.
In hindsight, the move raised questions, especially as SRH capitalised on the lack of spin variation to build a strong total. Kishan’s 91 anchored the innings after early wickets, allowing the hosts to recover and accelerate.
Parag, however, felt the surface itself played a role in shaping his decisions. He noted that the pitch had some assistance early on with the new ball before easing out, which made the timing of bowling changes tricky.
While Jadeja did not get an opportunity with the ball, he made a strong contribution with the bat, scoring 45 and stitching together a 118 run stand with Donovan Ferreira to steady the innings after Rajasthan’s early collapse.
Despite that recovery, Rajasthan’s biggest setback came with the bat. Chasing 217, they slumped to 9 for 5 inside the first three overs, effectively taking the game out of their reach.
The Royals did manage a partial fightback through the middle order, but the early damage proved too steep to overturn. The collapse also highlighted the impact of SRH’s young bowlers, who capitalised on the pressure from the outset.
Parag acknowledged that while a few decisions could have been handled differently, the defeat was more down to overall execution rather than one specific call.
The Royals skipper also credited the opposition’s young seamers for setting the tone early, noting how well they handled pressure in front of a home crowd.
For Rajasthan, the focus now shifts to regrouping quickly after what was, in Parag’s view, a minor setback in an otherwise strong campaign.
