Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag conceded that his team underperformed after being beaten by Kolkata Knight Riders by four wickets in their IPL 2026 match in Kolkata on Sunday evening. Parag admitted that RR misread the pitch and fell short on key execution, pointing in particular to dropped chances and bowling that didn’t consistently stay disciplined.
Parag’s assessment after the defeat
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Parag said RR had expected a competitive total of roughly 170, but were bowled out well short of that target. He stressed that there was little room for excuses, highlighting two areas where the side let itself down.
“We thought it was a 170 wicket, so we were well under par. It’s our game—no excuses. We can’t be dropping catches. We also can’t bowl in a way that gives batters an advantage,” Parag said.
Parag also explained the thinking behind RR’s bowling plan, noting the amount of turn available on the surface and how the spin options were expected to play a bigger role. He referenced the impact of the spinners during the middle overs and described how the match situation influenced his decision-making.
“There was plenty of spin on the wicket. The way Jaddu, Bishi and Punja bowled made me think spin was the way forward, which is why I bowled an over. Brijesh was close to bowling the 14th and the 16th as well,” Parag added.
He further elaborated on the tactical adjustments made during the chase, especially once left-handed batters came into play. Parag suggested that after one spinner completed his spell, RR felt the conditions might become more difficult for their attack and tried to manage the risk accordingly.
“They lost wickets, and there were left-handers. So I bowled… After Bishnoi’s over finished, I felt the spinners could be targeted here because of the left-handers. I think the plan was there. We tried to give ourselves time, but it didn’t work out. Yash Raj Punja bowled really well—there were a few nerves in his first over,” Parag said.
How the match unfolded
- Rajasthan Royals were sent in to bat but could only manage 155/9, despite a strong start from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (46) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (39).
- KKR’s bowling kept RR under pressure, with Varun Chakravarthy standing out and also reaching the milestone of 200 T20 wickets, while Kartik Tyagi took three wickets and Sunil Narine finished with two.
- In response, KKR stumbled early, sliding to 5/2 and then 37/3 before a middle-order collapse pushed them to 85/6.
- Rinku Singh (50*) and Anukul Roy combined to rebuild the chase, adding the partnership needed to keep KKR within touching distance of the target.
- With 21 runs required off the last two overs, Rinku accelerated sharply, taking the match into the final over with the equation still alive.
- Rinku then finished the job with a six, sealing a thrilling four-wicket victory for KKR with balls to spare and completing the chase of 156.
KKR’s win sets up a dramatic finish to the contest in Kolkata, with the chase ultimately decided by Rinku’s momentum in the closing stages after RR had restricted them to a precarious position.
