The Indian Premier League 2026 continues to produce fresh drama and intense debates with every passing match, especially with six teams still alive in the race for the final two playoff spots.
Rajasthan Royals’ defeat to hosts Delhi Capitals on Saturday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium — coupled with their failure to capitalise on Punjab Kings dropping points earlier in the day against Royal Challengers Bengaluru — has placed massive scrutiny on certain decisions taken by RR captain Riyan Parag and the team management.
One of the biggest talking points was the omission of Ravindra Jadeja from such a crucial fixture.
Jadeja has enjoyed a stellar campaign for Rajasthan since arriving in a high-profile trade deal worth INR 14 crore ahead of the season, ending his 12-year association with Chennai Super Kings, while former RR captain Sanju Samson moved the other way.
Since joining Rajasthan, Jadeja has slotted seamlessly into the side, becoming a key figure in the middle order while also providing invaluable experience and control with the ball. His fielding brilliance — long regarded as one of the best in world cricket — was also visibly missed during RR’s defeat.
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Although reports suggested that Jadeja was rested as part of workload management, the decision remained highly debatable given the significance of the fixture. The defeat meant RR missed a golden opportunity to move above Punjab, who continue to occupy fourth place despite six consecutive losses.
Former India captain Kris Srikkanth was quick to question the move after RR failed to defend 193 against Delhi. Despite strong contributions from the top order, including Parag’s explosive 51 featuring five sixes, Rajasthan’s middle order failed to capitalise.
Srikkanth labelled Jadeja’s omission an “absurd move,” especially considering that a victory would have placed RR in a commanding position in the qualification race with a game still in hand.
He also hinted at possible unrest within the Rajasthan camp after Parag skipped collecting his post-match award for hitting the most sixes.
“With qualification at stake, you make such a move. This match was the easiest chance for them against DC. Jadeja was a compulsory must for this match. How can you not play him in the XI? It was an absurd move. I am convinced there is something wrong in the team. Parag didn’t even come to receive his trophy for the maximum sixes. So, there is something internally wrong within the team,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
Srikkanth’s criticism carried added significance because RR clearly missed Jadeja’s all-round experience. Rajasthan not only failed to push towards a bigger total despite an excellent platform from the top order, but Parag’s decision to hand Donovan Ferreira the 18th over also exposed the lack of a dependable bowling option during the decisive phase of the game.
Jadeja, who has already scored 190 runs at an average close to 48 while also picking up eight wickets this season, was replaced by 24-year-old Ravi Singh, who made his IPL debut but failed to make an impact. He managed only four runs before falling to Mitchell Starc.
The selection decision drew further criticism from Srikkanth, especially with experienced spinner Ravi Bishnoi available on the bench.
“It was stupidity not playing one of Jadeja or Bishnoi. Is Ravi Singh a replacement for Jadeja? Jadeja is a gun all-rounder and you replace him with a young batter like Ravi Singh in a crucial match. It felt like RR didn’t want to win this match. It looked like they played to lose. Parag batted brilliantly but the will to win seems to be missing within the team. They have lost their mind not playing Jadeja,” Srikkanth added.