Kumar Sangakkara strongly defended Riyan Parag after Rajasthan Royals qualified for the IPL 2026 playoffs with a win over Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium.
Sangakkara said he had “seen very few players criticised like Parag” over the last several years. He pointed out that Parag has faced heavy criticism on social media since the start of his IPL career, but the franchise still fully trusted him as captain.
According to Sangakkara, Rajasthan Royals believed Parag was “the absolute right guy” to lead the team. He praised Parag’s confidence, leadership style, and the respect he has inside the dressing room from both players and staff.
Parag’s batting numbers in IPL 2026 have not been huge compared to his breakout 2024 season. He scored 272 runs at a strike rate above 152, with only two half-centuries. Earlier in the season, Parag himself admitted he was going through a difficult personal phase.
There was also controversy during the tournament when he was penalised after being caught vaping during a match against Punjab Kings.
Before the match against Mumbai Indians, Parag had missed a game because of a hamstring injury. Sangakkara later revealed Parag was not even fully fit to play but still came back for the important match. He scored a quick 14 off eight balls as Rajasthan posted 205 and later won by 30 runs to seal a playoff place.
Sangakkara said Parag had shown positivity and maturity throughout the season, even while dealing with pressure and criticism. He also described him as a calm, soft-spoken, determined, and intelligent young player behind the public image fans often see online.
The RR coach added that the franchise wants to help Parag continue developing as both a captain and a batter over the coming years.
Kumar Sangakkara Explains Why RR Promoted Jofra Archer Up the Order Against Mumbai Indians
The match also saw a surprising move when Jofra Archer was promoted up the order at No. 7 ahead of other batters. Archer smashed 32 off just 15 balls, which became his highest IPL score.
Sangakkara explained that the decision was linked to the Impact Player strategy. He said the team wanted to avoid overusing Dasun Shanaka as a bowler on a difficult pitch. So they pushed Archer higher in the batting order instead.
Archer came in during the 13th over after Dhruv Jurel got out. He smashed 32 runs off just 15 balls with three sixes and one four. His quick innings helped Rajasthan Royals push their score past 200 at Wankhede Stadium.
He admitted the move could have looked bad if it failed, but said the team already knew Archer’s hitting ability. Sangakkara also praised Ravindra Jadeja for batting at the end despite carrying an elbow injury.
Later in the innings, RR brought in Ravindra Jadeja as an Impact Player after another batter got out. Sangakkara also revealed Jadeja had been carrying an injury, which is why the team carefully managed when to use him during the game.
Rajasthan Royals eventually reached 206 after Sangakkara felt they were initially heading toward only around 180.
Archer later completed a brilliant all-round performance with the ball. He dismissed Rohit Sharma for a duck in the first over and later removed Hardik Pandya along with Naman Dhir. He finished with three wickets for 17 runs and won Player of the Match.
With the win, Rajasthan Royals qualified for the IPL 2026 playoffs. They are now set to face Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator in New Chandigarh.
Rajasthan Royals Seal Final IPL 2026 Playoff Spot as Full Knockout Schedule Gets Confirmed
Rajasthan Royals qualified for the IPL 2026 playoffs after defeating Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium. The win confirmed RR as the fourth and final playoff team of the season.
With the victory, Rajasthan Royals reached 16 points and moved ahead of Punjab Kings, who finished with 15 points. It also officially knocked out Kolkata Knight Riders, who could only finish with a maximum of 15 points even if they won their last game.
The four playoff teams for IPL 2026 are now confirmed as:
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru
- Gujarat Titans
- Sunrisers Hyderabad
- Rajasthan Royals
Qualifier 1 will be played between RCB and Gujarat Titans in Dharamsala on May 26. The winner will go directly into the IPL final in Ahmedabad on May 31.
The losing side from Qualifier 1 will get another chance through Qualifier 2 in New Chandigarh.
Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals will face each other in the Eliminator on May 27. The winner of that match will move into Qualifier 2, while the losing team will be eliminated from the tournament.
Qualifier 2 will happen on May 29 in New Chandigarh between the Eliminator winner and the loser of Qualifier 1. The winner of Qualifier 2 will then travel to Ahmedabad for the final on May 31.
At the bottom of the points table, Mumbai Indians stayed ninth while Lucknow Super Giants finished last. Both teams managed only four wins in 14 league matches during IPL 2026.
FAQs
Q. What did Kumar Sangakkara say about Riyan Parag?
A. Kumar Sangakkara said he had “seen very few players criticised like Parag”.
Q. Why did Rajasthan Royals still trust Riyan Parag as captain?
A. Sangakkara said the franchise believed Riyan Parag was “the absolute right guy” because of his respect inside the dressing room.
Q. Was Riyan Parag fully fit during the Mumbai Indians match?
A. No. Sangakkara revealed Parag was still recovering from a hamstring injury.
Q. Why was Jofra Archer promoted up the batting order?
A. Rajasthan Royals wanted to avoid overusing Dasun Shanaka as a bowler.
Q. Which teams qualified for the IPL 2026 playoffs?
A. The four playoff teams are Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Rajasthan Royals.
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