Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara praised his batting unit after they pulled off a 223-run chase against Punjab Kings, reserving special mention for skipper Riyan Parag. It was a challenging task, made tougher by the pressure of coming off a defeat and facing an unbeaten Punjab side. Despite the circumstances, the inaugural champions showed composure and clarity in their approach. The batters stuck to their plans, kept the scoreboard moving, and handled key moments well. In the end, the Royals completed the chase with four balls to spare, underlining the depth and confidence in their batting lineup.
Sangakkara shifted the spotlight from individual brilliance to Rajasthan Royals’ collective strength, stressing that while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has drawn attention, the team’s batting depth has been just as crucial to their success.
“I know the focus is a lot on Vaibhav because he’s an incredible player. But when I look at our side–Vaibhav, Dhruv, Yash, Riyan, Donovan Ferreira, Dubey, Jadeja, and Shanaka–they are all top cricketers. When someone does something extraordinary, it makes you very happy,” Sangakkara said in the post-match press conference
He further pointed to Riyan Parag’s crucial cameo, calling it a key moment in regaining momentum. “Riyan’s small innings was exactly what we needed to bring the momentum back our way,” Sangakkara noted, describing the win as a “collective effort.”
The RR captain, who is not having an ideal season with the bat, scored 29 runs off 16 balls against PBKS, which was crucial in the middle overs to shift the momentum.
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“Coming in as an impact sub one of the hardest things”
The RR head coach admitted they were slightly off with their plans early on, but praised the bowling unit for regrouping and fighting back strongly to pull things in their favour.
“We were a little bit off at the start with our bowling plans, but the way we fought back into the game, especially our two spinners and Jofra again, supported by Nandre and Brijesh, was exceptional,” he said.
Sangakkara also reserved special praise for impact substitute Dubey, highlighting the difficulty of delivering under uncertain match situations.
“Coming in as an impact sub is one of the hardest things. You don’t know if you’re playing, but mentally he was exceptionally skilful to stay focused and contribute in a tough situation,” he said.