Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag did not hold back in his assessment after his side slumped to a five-wicket defeat against Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026, admitting the team had failed in all departments at a crucial stage of the tournament.
The loss was Rajasthan’s third in a row and significantly dented their playoff hopes. RR now find themselves in a must-win situation heading into their final two league matches, currently placed sixth on the points table.
Batting first at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Rajasthan looked set for a huge total after reaching 160/2 in the 14th over. Parag led the way with a fluent half-century, but the innings lost momentum after his dismissal as Delhi fought back strongly through Mitchell Starc, who picked up four
wickets. Lungi Ngidi and Madhav also chipped in with two wickets each to restrict RR to 193/8.
IPL 2026 | Schedule | Results | Orange Cap | Purple Cap
Reflecting on the collapse, Parag admitted Rajasthan had missed a major opportunity to post a far bigger score.
“Pretty much everything, actually (on where RR went wrong). We were in a pretty good space after 14 overs. After I got out, we didn’t capitalise on that. It had to be 220-230, something like that. As far as the bowling is concerned, I think we just weren’t there. We weren’t up to the mark. Didn’t really work out. (On the fielding) Very poor. You’ve got to be better than what we’ve done today. Extremely disappointed,” Parag was quoted as saying at the post-match presentation on Sunday.
Falling Standards
The RR skipper also questioned the team’s recent standards, saying their performances over the last few matches had fallen well below expectations.
“I feel we are a way better team than what we’ve played or shown in the last 4-5 games. I feel what we’ve shown today, energy-wise, skill-wise, execution-wise, is definitely not up to the mark. And if we keep on playing like this, we shouldn’t be in contention for the top 4. If we do not qualify, it’s our fault. No one else’s,” he said.
Parag further admitted Rajasthan had failed to seize key moments in recent matches and deserved the pressure they now face in the playoff race.
(With inputs from Agencies)
