Former India fast bowler Irfan Pathan believes Riyan Parag’s brave, late-game captaincy will lift his confidence after Rajasthan Royals’ thrilling victory over Gujarat Titans. Parag, taking the leadership reins for RR this season, made a crucial call at the death—opting to hand Jofra Archer the 19th over while entrusting Tushar Deshpande with the final set.
Quick facts
- Rajasthan Royals beat Gujarat Titans by six runs.
- Riyan Parag captained RR this season and took a key decision in the last overs.
- Jofra Archer was given the 19th over and conceded only four runs.
- Tushar Deshpande defended 10 runs in the final over.
- Gujarat’s chase was led by Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler.
- In Shubman Gill’s absence, Sai Sudharsan scored 73 off 44 balls to power the chase.
- A mid-innings wicket burst ultimately swung the result back to Rajasthan.
Pathan said the match was a major statement of intent from RR, adding that Parag must command respect as a leader. He pointed out that the decision to entrust Archer with the penultimate over is often the route teams take, given the experience factor—but Parag still had to back his call under pressure.
Archer justified the strategy with a sharp, controlled spell, giving away just four runs and putting clear brakes on Gujarat’s momentum. With the chase under growing strain, Deshpande then held his nerve and managed the narrow margin, defending 10 runs in the final over to seal a six-run win for Rajasthan.
Pathan further praised Archer’s execution, highlighting that the veteran used pace and experience to limit damage and refused to offer easy scoring opportunities. He also stressed how the over set up the finish for Deshpande—because if Gujarat had cleared the 10-run mark in that phase, the contest would likely have been effectively over.
He added that the credit also belonged to Deshpande for bowling accurate yorkers in a tense final sequence. Pathan’s point was clear: calm leadership and precise execution at the death are what turned a tight chase into a win for RR.
GT’s reliance and Sai’s response
On the other side, Gujarat Titans continue to lean heavily on their top three—Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler—to carry the scoring load. Former India spinner R Ashwin noted that Sai stepped up particularly well when Gill was not available for the game against Rajasthan.
Opening the innings, Sudharsan struck a 44-ball 73, creating the kind of platform Gujarat needed to chase 211. Yet, once the middle overs arrived, a cluster of wickets disrupted the rhythm, and that collapse proved decisive as Rajasthan Royals held on to win by six runs.
Ashwin said Sudharsan understood the responsibility instantly in Gill’s absence and looked to take the game on from the start. He pointed out how the batter used pace intelligently—guiding the ball towards third man—before shifting to front-foot cover drives that kept the scoring pace steady.
Ashwin also highlighted that Sudharsan attacked as soon as Ravindra Jadeja entered the attack, making use of the ball’s pace and then following it with a slog sweep. In his view, those were Sudharsan’s key strengths, and he earned the outcome that came from leaning into them.
He concluded that Sudharsan needs to keep playing with that same mindset—carrying the innings at an efficient tempo—while also noting that missing Gill was a significant setback for Gujarat Titans. Ashwin added that once Gill returns, the opening combination will remain crucial for GT’s plans going forward.
