Rajasthan Royals were in control of the run-chase for a major part of the innings, after being in a spot of bother early on in their Indian Premier League 2024 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday.
Both Riyan Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal pulled the Royals out of a hole with superlative knocks, but in the end, it was not enough as they fell short by just a run in a nail-biting finish.
“Dramatic, I think that is one word that I would like to use. It is never fun to end up on the losing side. That is how T20 is, that is how IPL is,” said Parag at the post-match press conference.
However, Parag chose to focus on the positives. Despite the loss, the Royals continue on top of the IPL 2024 standings with 16 points from 10 matches.
“We did a lot of things right. I think that’s what we will focus on more rather than dwelling on what the mistakes were,” Parag mentioned.
“We are in a good position in the table. I won’t say it’s a bad game, probably made a few errors in two-three overs that cost us the game.
“That is the beauty of our team, we don’t change with conditions, we don’t change with where we are at the points table, we have a Royals’ way of playing cricket and that is how we play regardless of the situation,” he pointed out.
Joining hands in the middle when the Royals were two down in the first over, Parag and Jaiswal took the attack to the opposition finding boundaries at will to finish the powerplay on a high.
Both of them completed their fifties and added 134 runs, the highest by any team for the third wicket in IPL 2024, in quick time to put the Royals in a comfortable position in the chase.
But Jaiswal, trying to find a much-needed boundary to keep the required rate in check, scooped the ball onto his stumps. A couple of sixes later, Parag also departed for 77 holing out in the deep.
“I don’t think we threw our wickets; We were very calculative of what we wanted to do,” explained Parag. “Jaiswal tried that scoop because T Natarajan was bowling good slower bouncers. Hence, he predicted the yorker and went with that shot.
“I was trying to muscle it for a six, probably an error in execution. It would have been nice to stay till the end, that was the plan for both of us,” the young batter revealed.
But, in a sudden twist of events, the Royals lost their way and fell short in the last ball of the innings. Rovman Powell tried his best with a crucial cameo but it was not to be, as the Royals were handed their first away loss of IPL 2024.
Meanwhile, Riyan Parag looked in majestic touch as he effortlessly cleared the fence in all parts of the ground. He hit four sixes and eight boundaries en route to making 77 off just 49 balls.
He also crossed 400 runs becoming the Royals’ highest run-scorer in IPL this season. But for the 22-year-old, who completed 1000 runs in IPL during his knock, the best is yet to come.
“No sir, I don’t think I am in my best form yet because if I was, I would have finished that right,” Parag mentioned. “I have got to improve in some of the areas that I know.
“Every game I make these errors or small mistakes, I try to learn from them and try not to repeat them in the next game.
“I wouldn’t say that it was one of my best innings because I got out on 77… As soon as I get a hundred, I can call it that,” Parag quipped.
