Rajasthan Royals coach Vikram Rathour defended Kyle Jamieson’s emphatic celebrations after the pacer struck early blows to remove both of RR’s opening batters. The Kiwi’s second wicket came at the expense of 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and while the dismissal sparked online outrage due to the manner of the send-off, Rathour insisted the reaction was simply a sign of excitement rather than any disrespect. The Royals, meanwhile, posted a strong 225-run total but still fell short in their defence, with the bowling unit failing to execute its plans again.
Key takeaways
- Rajasthan Royals saw both openers depart early, with Yashasvi Jaiswal dismissed by Mitchell Starc and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi removed by Kyle Jamieson.
- Jamieson celebrated extravagantly after bowling out Sooryavanshi, drawing angry reactions on social media.
- RR coach Vikram Rathour said the celebration was excitement and a compliment for Sooryavanshi’s dismissal, not aggression.
- Rajasthan made 225 runs, powered by Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel and Donovan Ferreira, but lost by defending failure despite having five balls remaining.
- Rathour pointed to the bowling unit’s inability to execute plans, especially in the powerplay, as the main reason for the defeat.
- He highlighted the middle order—Parag, Jurel and the way Ferreira finished—as the biggest positive, while calling for more work on defending totals going forward.
Celebration after the wicket: Rathour’s defence
Rathour, who attended the post-match press conference on Friday, addressed the moment that drew the loudest online reaction. He argued that Jamieson’s exuberance was understandable because Sooryavanshi has been among the season’s more productive run-scorers, and removing him early would naturally trigger a strong response.
In Rathour’s view, the teenager’s dismissal should not be read as anything more than a reflection of the bowler’s excitement. He also stressed that early wickets happen to everyone, and that there should be no unrealistic expectation for Vaibhav to score in every opportunity he receives.
Rathour said that Vaibhav has been playing well and converting starts when he gets a chance. He added that the dismissal came after a good ball early on, and mentioned that Sooryavanshi appeared to have had a cramp at some point, though he was fine overall. The coach concluded that Jamieson’s emotion served as a compliment because people were noticing how happy the bowler was after getting Vaibhav out, and that the overall approach would remain unchanged.
“Getting out can be anyone’s turning point, but not everyone can make runs every time, and we shouldn’t have any expectations from Vaibhav that he will score every time. He is playing well. Wherever he is getting a chance and a start, he is converting those starts,” Rathour said. He continued: “A good ball fell in the beginning, so he can also get out. He had a bit of a cramp, I think, but he is fine. So, obviously, he [Jamieson] was excited, and that is a compliment for Vaibhav that people are finding that he is so happy after getting him out. So, that is a compliment for Vaibhav. The strategy will remain the same.”
225 on the board, but the bowling couldn’t hold it
While RR’s top contributors helped them reach a competitive 225-run total, the team were unable to defend it. The Royals ultimately lost with five balls still left, a result Rathour attributed squarely to the bowling unit “misfiring again” and not executing what was planned.
Rathour explained that, in his assessment, 226 looked defendable on the surface. However, he said the bowlers struggled to apply their plans, particularly in the powerplay—where he felt RR gave away too many runs without taking wickets. That start, he argued, put the chase out of reach later because the team could not then carry out its strategy effectively.
“The reason behind it is that I think the bowling couldn’t execute their plans again today. I thought 226 was enough on the surface; we should have been able to defend that. I think with the bowling, once you’re defending a total like that, it’s important to have a good powerplay. Again, today, I thought we gave away lots of runs and didn’t pick up any wickets, so that sets you back, and then later, we couldn’t execute our plans. We need to learn from that as a bowling unit, and we need to work hard on that as we have more matches to play here,” Rathour said.
What RR got right: middle-order momentum
Asked about the positives, Rathour pointed to the impact of the middle order. He said the team’s earlier big scores had largely come from Sooryavanshi and Jaiswal, but this time the batting saw stronger support from other parts of the order. He also noted that the openers had been handling the early phase well in most matches, making this game—where both went out early—a useful learning moment for the side.
Rathour described the situation as an important test of how RR responds after early setbacks. He praised Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel for their batting during that period and said Donovan Ferreira’s finishing was a strong sight to see. He added that such innings can build confidence across the squad, reinforcing that results don’t have to rely on just one or two individuals.
“The positive was that we were getting good starts and both openers were doing well for us in every match. So, today was the first time that both of them got out early. As a team, I think it was important to see how we come out of that situation and how we play. The way Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel batted at that time, the way they partnered, and the way Donovan finished it was really good to see,” he said.
He added: “I think this kind of innings gives a lot of confidence to the team that we are not dependent on one or two players. So, the day it’s our turn, or whoever is playing well, they can win the game for us and put up a good score. So, it was really positive,” Rathour concluded.
Looking ahead: defend totals, work harder
Looking forward, Rathour acknowledged that RR must improve—particularly in their bowling. He stressed the need to develop better plans for defending totals and to execute them consistently, rather than letting opponents chase momentum.
Rathour said RR’s score of 226 was substantial and that the team would continue trying to play good cricket. He expressed confidence that if the Royals perform to their potential as a unit, they can beat any opponent on any surface, but he also made clear that the immediate focus would be on learning from the bowling shortcomings highlighted in this match.
“Again, we need to work hard on how to defend the score. We got 226 runs, which is a lot in my opinion. We will try to play good cricket. If we do our best, and if we play to our potential as a team, we should be able to beat any team on any day on any surface. We will try to play our best cricket. Results will follow, I am sure. We played well this year and got a good start. We won good matches,” he said in conclusion.
