Veteran spin bowler Amit Mishra directly targeted Rajasthan Royals (RR) stand-in captain Riyan Parag for criticism. Mishra faulted Parag’s comments after RR lost against an organized Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) side. The retired bowler’s comments came after Parag appeared to blame his teammates for the loss during a post-match press conference.
How Did Amit Mishra Respond to Riyan Parag’s Comments?
Mishra replied Parag by singling out the captain’s errors that ultimately led to their defeat:
“You had the match in your grasp but the extra runs that you gave… if you take out the 14 wides that they bowled, they would have won,” Mishra said during an interview.
“You yourself made a mistake in the crunch situation. How can you blame the others? It’s not like you were too far behind the game. You were always in the game. You didn’t lose by 40-50 runs. It was a close match,” he continued.
Mishra believes RR could have won the match if Parag did not get dismissed early during his innings:
“You could have won with an over to spare if you hadn’t got out at the wrong time. The kind of shots that you are attempting in a crunch situation, those could have been avoided. You should have thought of taking the match deep and finish it,” Mishra concluded.
Did Riyan Parag Blames His Teammates Over Poor Run of Form?
Under-fire stand-in skipper Parag didn’t hold back while expressing his displeasure over the team’s inability to see games through. The team has largely been inefficient in batting and other vital departments, a factor directly responsible for a tough string of results in recent games. Parag believes the IPL 2025 season is over for his team, and they only have pride to play for until the next edition:
“Halfway through our innings we were in the driver’s seat. We’ve got ourselves to blame. We didn’t show enough intent against spinners. It’s a tournament where if you make a slight mistake, you’ll pay for it. We’ve got to play for pride now,” Parag said.
Parag’s comments did not sit well with several vocal critics who went all out to berate him for blaming his players. Several analysts and experts blasted the skipper for failing to take responsibility for the team’s poor run of form.
Virender Sehwag Believes Jurel, Hetmyer Dismissals Sealed RR Defeat vs RCB
Veteran Team India and IPL batter Virender Sehwag believes RR could have won the game against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB):
“They [RR batters and fielders] didn’t play that badly against the spinners. They took 31 runs each in their 4 overs. They also bowled well, took wickets so they had to bat a bit cautiously but it was still RR’s match to win till Hetmyer and Dhurv Jurel were in the middle,” the veteran hitter said.
Sehwag believes the dismissals of Dhruv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer sealed RR’s defeat; however, he didn’t single any player out for the team’s loss:
“Hetmyer got out, and unfortunately, Jurel got dismissed. It was a soft dismissal. He wanted to make room and hit but got an inside edge. If Jurel batted till the end, RR would have won,” Sehwag concluded.
RR Pacer Decries Team’s Poor Form in Recent Games
The Rajasthan Royals (RR) have had a tough season in 2025 with several defeats piling up in recent games. Players are now experiencing difficult opposition on the field coupled by a poor run of form across vital departments in the team.
RR pace bowler Sandeep Sharma recently expressed his displeasure with the team’s inability to close games while under pressure:
“In all three games, we needed nine runs an over. In T20s these days, with the kind of hitting ability we have, that shouldn’t be difficult. But we’re losing wickets at key moments. When we try to accelerate, it’s not clicking. We’re not executing our plans under pressure,” Sharma said.
The pacer made these remarks after RR lost three games on the bounce against opposing teams they usually perform better against.
RR “crumbling under pressure” – Sharma
Sandeep Sharma continued by admitting the team’s poor response to defending set margins or chasing targets. The pacer believes RR must accept their fate this season and manage to retain wickets better without folding under pressure:
“We haven’t been able to grab the crunch moments, whether chasing or defending. In T20 cricket, every team gets those moments. You have to take them. This year, we’re dropping crucial catches, losing wickets right when we need to push the scoring. That’s been the problem, we’re crumbling under pressure,” he concluded.
