Jaipur, April 26 (IANS) Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Riyan Parag admitted that dropped chances proved costly as his side went down to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by five wickets in Match 36 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday.

Reflecting on the defeat, Parag said that while the team executed well in patches, lapses in the field hurt them badly. “Skill-wise, we executed pretty nicely. But we dropped catches. Quality players like Abhishek can’t be dropped. That will be a sight to behold. It is one part of the game. We have to be clinical, and fielding plays a major part,” he said after the match.

After being asked to bat first, Rajasthan Royals posted a strong 228/6, riding on a sensational 103 off 37 balls by young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and a quickfire 51 from Dhruv Jurel. Late contributions from Donovan Ferreira and Shimron Hetmyer pushed the total past the 220-mark, putting RR in a commanding position at the innings break.

However, SRH chased down the target comfortably with nine balls to spare, thanks to a blistering 74 off 31 balls from Ishan Kishan and a rapid 57 from Abhishek Sharma, who shared a match-defining 132-run partnership.

Parag also felt that RR fell slightly short with the bat despite the big total. “We left like 10-15 on the table, to be honest. They bowled well in the 18th and 19th over, executed the yorkers. We would have liked 10-15 more runs,” he admitted.

Speaking about his bowling decisions, Parag explained the reasoning behind turning to part-time options in the middle overs. “They were two lefties, and I thought Don and I had a better chance of getting a wicket. The wicket was not spin-friendly. It didn’t really go to plan, but I would do the same thing next time as well,” he said.

He also acknowledged the impact of in-form opposition players and the challenges of adapting to different conditions throughout the tournament. “He has been sensational this season, unlucky as well, with a few top-edges falling safely. Different venues every day, different ways to approach. I don’t know how it will be in Chandigarh. But again, it is another day’s thought,” Parag concluded.

Meanwhile, after this defeat, RR have moved down to the fourth position in the points table with 10 points in 8 matches. They will next face the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 28.

–IANS

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