Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth came down hard on Riyan Parag for his underwhelming run with the bat in the ongoing IPL season. While Rajasthan Royals have managed to stay in the top four, their skipper’s form has raised serious concerns. The right-hander has failed to deliver impactful knocks, especially in pressure situations, and hasn’t stepped up when the team needed him most. The Royals have now lost their last two matches, with Parag unable to shoulder responsibility during tough phases. Their growing dependence on openers Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal, along with No. 3 Dhruv Jurel, has started to hurt them, as the middle order continues to falter and derail their momentum.
Srikkanth didn’t mince his words while tearing into Parag, taking a swipe at his repeated failures this season and questioning his impact. In a brutal assessment, Srikkanth even dragged Ajinkya Rahane into the debate, claiming there’s an ongoing ‘competition’between the two for the unwanted tag of the ‘worst batter’.
“Parag, as usual, is fit only for his stylish walks after doing nothing with bat and ball. There is a competition between him and Rahane as to who’s the worst batter. Parag did well one season, and that’s it,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
Rahane has scored 152 runs from seven matches this season at a strike rate of 144.76, while Parag has struggled, managing just 61 runs at a strike rate of 122.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians registered a commanding 99-run win over Gujarat Titans to get their campaign back on track. The emphatic victory should restore much-needed confidence in the five-time champions, something that had been lacking over the past few matches.
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“KKR and LSG will only fight for 9th vs 10th”
Srikkanth backed MIs to script a late turnaround, insisting their knack for stepping up in big games keeps them firmly in the playoff race, while also bluntly ruling out Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants from contention.
“MI have the ability to do well in big matches, which can suddenly vault them to the playoffs. After this match, there is no way anyone can write MI off. KKR and LSG, of course, are already knocked out. They’ll only fight for 9th vs 10th,” the former India batter said.
He further weighed in on the Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals clash, backing SRH as clear favourites while pointing out a glaring issue in DC’s batting line-up, particularly at No. 3 with Karun Nair under scrutiny.
“SRH will be favourites. DC have a No.3 problem. They are playing Karun Nair there. He’s a Test match player playing T20,” said Srikkanth.