Rajasthan Royals made a stellar start to the season, winning their first four games to surge to the top of the points table. But consecutive defeats—both away from home, to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 57 runs and Kolkata Knight Riders by four wickets—left them in fourth spot. Both losses also drew criticism, with captain Riyan Parag bearing the brunt for his poor batting form.
In six matches this season, Parag—who was elevated to the captaincy role after Rajasthan parted ways with Sanju Samson—has managed only 61 runs at a strike rate of 122. His struggles have been at the heart of Rajasthan’s middle-order woes, which were exposed in those two defeats.
Although Parag has impressed as a captain, his modest returns have led to concerns. In fact, four of his six dismissals this season have come within the first ten balls, while his strike rate is the fifth-lowest among all batters who have faced at least 50 deliveries.
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With the Royals gearing up for a third straight away game this season—against Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium on Wednesday—former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer urged Parag to move down the order and promote Shimron Hetmyer to the No. 3 or No. 4 role.
“I would like Shimron Hetmyer to be pushed a bit higher in the batting order, or if Riyan Parag is not getting runs, he should maybe move down. The in-form players should be given opportunities higher up. So Rajasthan can make this adjustment. I feel he should not go back to the old strategy. Hetmyer is a very dangerous player, and if you play him at No. 3 or No. 4 and give him enough time, he can be very destructive,” he said on his YouTube channel.
Jaffer also raised concerns over Parag’s lack of runs this season, warning that his influence in the dressing room could drop unless he returns to form.
“As a batter, the fact that runs are not coming is definitely a worry, without a doubt. So he will have to fix that. He needs to spend a bit more time at the crease, improve his shot selection, and also work on the execution of his shots. He is talented and has performed before. He has played for India as well and has had decent performances. But now, in this season, since the runs are not coming, he needs to think about it. He is captaining the side, but his influence will only carry weight when he performs himself.”