Former India batter Krishnamachari Srikkanth didn’t mince words while criticising Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag after their defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday. The Royals were outplayed on the night, and a few of Parag’s captaincy decisions came under scrutiny. His own form with the bat has also been a concern, especially in a steep chase where he failed to make an impact again. So far this season, Parag has crossed the 20-run mark just once, raising questions despite RR’s strong start that saw them win four games on the trot before this setback. He was dismissed for just 4 on Monday, when his team needed him in the middle after a top-order collapse as RR eventually lost the match by 57 runs.
Meanwhile, in the clash against SRH, Parag’s decision not to use Ravindra Jadeja with the ball came as a surprise to many. He even bowled an over himself, but the veteran all-rounder wasn’t given a chance to roll his arm over.
Ex-India skipper Srikkanth slammed Parag, calling him “there only for style” while questioning his batting struggles and baffling calls, including not using Jadeja with the ball.
“He’s only there for style. As usual, he did nothing with the bat and spoke at the post-match presentation. He’s just there for style and does nothing else. He doesn’t bowl Jadeja an over and then offers an explanation that a left-hander was playing. Is there some rule that a left-arm spinner can’t bowl to a left-hander? It’s absurd,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
SRH outplayed RR
SRH, having posted 216 for six on the back of skipper Ishan Kishan’s 44-ball 91, bundled out the in-form RR for 159 in 19 overs, returning to winning ways in style after back-to-back losses.
He further criticised RR’s bowling, pointing out how the combined spells of Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma and Ravi Bishnoi conceded heavily and effectively took the game away.
“The 11 overs between Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, and Ravi Bishnoi went for 142 runs. That’s where the match was over. Wherever Sandeep Sharma bowled, they smashed him, and Deshpande was a total failure. Suddenly, RR also has to start thinking about their bowling combination. If they bowl like this, they’ll receive a thrashing,” said Srikkanth
