Is Riyan Parag's poor form concern for RR? Sangakkara opines
What's the story
Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara has come out in support of underperforming all-rounder Riyan Parag. The 24-year-old cricketer has struggled with the bat in IPL 2026, scoring just 81 runs in seven matches at an average of 13.50 and a strike rate of 117.39. His highest score this season was a mere 20 against Lucknow Super Giants.
Coach's confidence
Sangakkara speaks on Parag's batting
Despite Parag's poor form, Sangakkara remains confident in his abilities. The former Sri Lankan captain said, "I think he's batting really well. When you're batting well, sometimes you don't always score." He added that he would have been worried if Parag wasn't hitting the ball well but is pleased with how he has been doing so. Meanwhile, despite Parag's poor batting returns, RR have won five of their seven games.
Leadership skills
Praise for Parag's leadership skills
Sangakkara also praised Parag for his captaincy and leadership skills. He said, "As a player, as a batter, the franchise backs him 100%." The coach was particularly impressed with how well the young cricketer has embraced his role as captain. "What's really exciting for me is to see how he has just embraced the captaincy and the leadership," Sangakkara added.
Captaincy choice
Why Riyan Parag was chosen as captain
Sangakkara explained why the management chose Parag as captain. He said, "More than anyone else's influence, why we chose Riyan as captain is that his learning curve has been steep." The coach emphasized that despite the pressure of being in the limelight since his debut with Rajasthan Royals, Parag has learned a lot from those experiences and continues to improve every day.