RR’s Management Advised To Rethink 'Whether Riyan Parag is Right Captain' After SRH Defeat

Virender Sehwag has raised concerns over Riyan Parag’s captaincy after Rajasthan Royals (RR) lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Saturday, April 26. He said the team management may now need to sit back and think carefully about whether Parag is the right choice to lead the side.

Sehwag's blunt take on Riyan Parag came after RR failed to defend a big total of 228 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. SRH chased the target comfortably with nine balls left.

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Why Sehwag questioned Riyan Parag's captaincy?

Sehwag pointed out that Parag’s on-field decisions did not work well, especially how he used his bowlers. He highlighted that key spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Bishnoi were given only one over each, despite RR having several bowling options.

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He also said Parag’s own poor form with the bat might be affecting his captaincy. In this match, Jadeja gave away 11 runs in his only over, while Bishnoi conceded 16 runs. According to Sehwag, both bowlers should have been given another chance to bowl again and try to make a comeback.

"Ravi Bishnoi bowled one over, and Ravindra Jadeja also bowled only one over. Neither of them are bad. They were not given a chance to bounce back after their first over. Sometimes they git hit, but you should atleast try them out for a second over. Who will get you the wickets if not them? Part-timers only come in thinking that how can he get through the over. Riyan Parag will have to think about his captaincy, and the management will have to think whether he is the right captain for them," Virender Sehwag said.

Parag’s lean patch continues

Parag also had another forgetful outing with the bat, scoring just 7 runs off 9 balls. So far in the Indian Premier League 2026, the RR captain has managed 88 runs in 8 matches at an average of 12.57 and a strike rate of 112.82.

Sehwag added that when a captain is out of form, it can start affecting his decision-making on the field.

"If I am a captain, and I am not scoring runs, 100 per cent it will affect my captaincy. I will be thinking about my runs, and also thinking that Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored 100 runs off 36 balls, and even though I am senior and experienced, why am I not scoring runs like that?" he said.

The inaugural IPL champions, Rajasthan Royals (RR) will now face Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 28.