Riyan Parag was asked about his death over strategy against the CSK duo, MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja.

Riyan Parag Leads Rajasthan Royals to Thrilling Win with Bold Captaincy Decisions

Riyan Parag justified Rajasthan Royals’ decision to appoint him as stand-in captain for Sanju Samson, guiding them to their first win of IPL 2025 in a thrilling six-run victory over Chennai Super Kings. Skippering in his hometown of Guwahati, Parag led RR to a hard-fought win after setting a target of 183 runs for CSK.

Ruturaj Gaikwad played a captain’s knock, scoring 63 off 44 balls, but was dismissed by Wanindu Hasaranga in the 16th over, leaving CSK at 129/5. MS Dhoni then walked in, much to the excitement of fans, with Ravindra Jadeja (13*) at the non-striker’s end. The duo struggled initially but found some momentum in the 19th over.

Parag, expected to send Jofra Archer for the crucial 19th over, surprised everyone by opting for Tushar Deshpande. Dhoni took full advantage, hitting a four and two sixes off Deshpande, bringing CSK to 163/5 with 20 runs needed from the final over. With Dhoni on strike, everyone anticipated Archer, but Parag stunned the crowd by choosing Sandeep Sharma instead.

Sandeep started with a wide, but quickly turned things around by dismissing Dhoni with a sensational catch from Shimron Hetmyer. Despite CSK’s chances, Sandeep kept his composure, bowling precise yorkers and a clever slow bouncer to restrict the remaining batters. With CSK needing 3 sixes to win, Overton hit Sandeep for a six but could only manage a couple of runs off the final two balls, leaving CSK at 176/6 in 20 overs.

Riyan Parag on not using Jofra Archer in death overs vs MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja

Explaining his death over strategy against Dhoni and Jadeja, and why he didn’t opt for Archer, Riyan Parag credited his gut instinct for going with Deshpande and later Sandeep Sharma.

Reflecting on his decision after the match, Parag said, “Luckily, I had a few options in this game, and me and Nitish were also there. Just did what felt instinctive as a captain today. Fielding made up for the 20 runs we were short. We’ve been working with Dishant Yagnik, our fielding coach, and it shows.”

Parag also pointed out that this wasn’t a new situation for Sandeep Sharma, who had faced Dhoni in the IPL 2023 final, securing a dramatic three-run win for RR. Known as a death-over specialist, the 31-year-old Sandeep has a variety of deliveries in his arsenal, making him a key player in such pressure situations.