Rajasthan Royals interim captain Riyan Parag guided his team to their maiden triumph of the season as they defeated Chennai Super Kings in a gripping contest at Guwahati. Parag played a pivotal role in the success with his outstanding fielding efforts alongside his batting.
Parag found himself at the centre of some controversy after the match. In footage captured on live television, Riyan Parag was seen taking a selfie with the IPL staff present at the venue in Guwahati. After clicking the selfie, he tossed the mobile phone back to the staff instead of carefully handing it over. The act caught one of the crew members off guard, but fortunately the device remained undamaged.
Riyan Parag showing Unnecessary Attitude in front of our Assam Police Officers.
He thinks he is the main character 🤡 pic.twitter.com/hBRhBFXmRd
— Jyotirmay Das (@dasjy0tirmay) March 31, 2025
Parag’s actions became a hot topic on social media, where fans criticized him for being rude. However, at the same time in the video, he also signed an autograph for a groundsman, depicting another facet of his personality. With the bat, Riyan Parag also played a significant role by scoring 37 runs that contributed to Rajasthan Royals’ victory. He also took an excellent catch to dismiss Shivam Dube, which turned the game around.
Parag was also impressive with his captaincy, as his fearless calls resulted in a favorable outcome. Even with Jofra Archer’s one over left, he chose to give the last two overs to Tushar Deshpande and Sandeep Sharma. It was the season’s final match at Guwahati as the Rajasthan Royals finally achieved their first win of the season. RR had lost the initial two games of the season but made a strong statement in this game with a convincing victory over CSK.
Rajasthan Royals scored 182-9 in 20 overs, with Nitish Rana smashing 81 off 36 balls and Riyan Parag adding 37. CSK’s bowlers, including Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, and Matheesha Pathirana, took two wickets each.
Gaikwad on CSK’s Struggles in Powerplay
In reply, Chennai lost Rachin Ravindra early, but Ruturaj Gaikwad fought back with a well-made 63. However, he lacked support, and Parag’s brilliant catch dismissed Shivam Dube at a crucial moment. MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja tried to chase 45 runs in the last three overs, but CSK fell six runs short.
“Obviously, we lost it during the powerplay of their innings when Nitish Rana was going all guns blazing. We weren’t proactive. He was going behind square on the leg side with the sweeps, so we had to be more ahead. It is always about one hit, and we were one hit away from crossing the line.” Ruturaj Gaikwad said.
“We gave away 8-10 runs on the field. We are trying to improve on it after each match, but it cost us tonight. 180-odd was still chaseable. It was a good wicket. If you timed the ball well, it was a good wicket. I was happy towards the end of the innings that we pulled things back. They were looking like getting to 210-plus.” Gaikwad added.
“We have not been able to get good starts. Once we get that going, we will be a really good batting unit. Long flight, looking forward to it. Lots of positives for us – Noor Ahmad, as usual, bowling well, Khaleel Ahmed is bowling well and Jadeja also bowled well. You need that sort of momentum in the bowling department when you get a wicket to build pressure. Not happening for us since the last game, once fielding comes together, we will definitely be a really good side.” Gaikwad concluded.
