Riyan Parag Tagged 'Useless' By Former BCCI Selector

Riyan Parag tagged 'useless' [Source: AP]

Rajasthan Royals went down by 57 runs against SRH to register their first defeat of the IPL 2026 season. Chasing 217 for a win at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, the visitors slipped to 9-5 at one stage before late runs from Ravindra Jadeja and Donovan Ferreira added some respectability to the innings.

After the defeat, Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag has now been subjected to severe criticism from a former BCCI selector and India’s 1983 World Cup winning cricketer K. Srikkanth.

Srikkanth says Riyan Parag “only there for style”

Former BCCI selector K. Srikkanth took Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag apart for his underwhelming returns in the ongoing IPL 2026 season. Taking to his YouTube channel, the former Indian cricketer said that Parag is “only there for style” as he does “nothing with the bat”.

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The 1983 World Cup winner also criticised the Rajasthan Royals captain for his ‘absurd’ explanation in not bowling experienced spinner Ravindra Jadeja to SRH’s left-handers.

K. Srikkanth said, “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 slams Rajasthan Royals bowling attack

K. Srikkanth also lambasted the Rajasthan Royals bowling attack. The ex-cricketer acknowledged the fact that the combined 11 overs of fast bowlers Tushar Deshpande and Sandeep Sharma and ace spinner Ravi Bishnoi leaked 142 runs against the SRH batters.

The cricket expert believes that Royals’ lacklustre bowling in the game pretty much sealed the deal in favour of the ‘Orange Army’. 

He added, “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.”

Riyan Parag in IPL 2026

Rajasthan Royals zealot Riyan Parag was named regular captain of the franchise prior to the IPL 2026 season owing to the exit of former skipper Sanju Samson. 

After enjoying a couple of prolific seasons with the bat for the Royals, Parag has managed to tally just 49 runs from five innings of the ongoing tournament at a dismal average of 12.25.

With the ball, however, the 24-year-old has managed to pick up two wickets in the only two overs he has bowled this season.

SRH vs Rajasthan Royals: As it happened

Riyan Parag won the toss and invited SRH to bat first. The hosts responded strongly by mounting 216-6 in 20 overs, despite losing firebrand opener Abhishek Sharma in the first ball of the match. Captain Ishan Kishan whacked 91 off just 44 balls with eight fours and six sixes to top-score in the innings.

In response, the Rajasthan Royals slipped to 9-5 at one stage, with captain Parag himself falling for just four off six balls. For the hosts, IPL debutants Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain both picked up four wickets each in the game.

Rajasthan Royals still on top despite defeat

Despite the defeat, Riyan Parag’s Rajasthan Royals troops are still placed at the top of the IPL 2026 points table. With four wins from five matches, their current NRR reads a formidable 0.889.

They will now face KKR in match number 28 of the tournament on Sunday, April 19 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

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