Kris Srikkanth slams Riyan Parag after RR’s loss to SRH in IPL 2026

Former Indian opener Kris Srikkanth criticised Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag after the inaugural champions suffered a 57-run win against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Hyderabad on Monday. The RR skipper was dismissed after scoring four runs off six balls after he edged a wide half volley to first slip against SRH. 

Parag has scored 49 runs in five matches at an average of 12.25 and a strike rate of 136.11 in IPL 2026 and hasn’t been consistent for the franchise. Srikkanth said Parag is just there for style and does nothing else.

Srikkanth said on his YouTube Channel, “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.”

Meanwhile, the 1983 World Cup-winning player reckons RR lost the game against SRH when their bowling trio of Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, and Ravi Bishnoi collectively conceded 142 runs in 11 overs.

“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 (via the aforementioned source).

Srikkanth expressed his surprise after Riyan Parag didn’t give the ball to experienced Ravindra Jadeja.

He concluded, “I was surprised that they trusted Ravi Bishnoi so much, but Ravindra Jadeja, who has played so much international cricket, wasn’t even given one over. They played with overconfidence in this match.”

Rajasthan Royals will next take on Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Sunday.