Rajasthan Royals’ captain Riyan Parag (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag played down his side’s heavy defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad, calling it just a minor setback and urging his team to move on quickly. RR were handed a crushing 57-run loss after being blown away early in the chase of 217. The damage was done in the very first over when debutant pacer Praful Hinge struck three times, removing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel and Lhuan-dre Pretorius to leave Rajasthan reeling. Reflecting on the loss, Parag admitted that the team had little time to dwell on emotions and acknowledged SRH’s strong execution with the ball. “Not a lot of time to feel the emotions, to be honest. We lost back-to-back wickets, credit to the way they bowled. Probably a few miscalculations from us, but we will just take this as a blip and not think about it too much.” Parag also assessed the pitch conditions, suggesting that chasing might have been the better option, although he conceded that RR’s batting collapse hurt them more than anything else. “(on the pitch) It was pretty good actually. I felt bowling second might have been better, probably because we lost wickets. It was a little sticky with the new ball with the shine on. After the shine was gone, I felt, it slowed down a bit and we could have bowled second, but then that’s again hindsight and we could have batted way better.” The RR skipper reserved special praise for SRH’s debutant seamers, particularly Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain, who combined to dismantle the batting line-up. “Absolutely, I think I’ve not seen them a lot domestically, but I think I played Sakib once when I played against Bihar versus Assam. But they bowled beautifully. I felt the pressure they had with the home crowd supporting and chanting their names and stuff like that. I felt the way they bowled the first four overs, first four, five overs, I think really was beautiful.” Parag also explained his tactical call not to use Ravindra Jadeja with the ball, citing the form of Ishan Kishan as a key factor. “(on not bowling Jadeja) I felt we started really well. Probably could have done a few things here and there. Jaddu bhai, I don’t know, just split second decision. Ishan was batting really well, so I didn’t want to take that chance. Trusted Bishnoi with the overs. But I felt they were 30 over par for sure with the way the wicket was playing.” Despite being reduced to 9/5, RR showed some fight through a 118-run stand between Donovan Ferreira and Jadeja, eventually reaching 159. Parag took that as a positive, highlighting the depth in the batting unit. “As far as batting is concerned, I think being five wickets down for nine runs and still getting 160, that says a lot about the depth of our batting.” Looking ahead, the young captain remained optimistic, insisting the team would quickly regroup for their next game. “Absolutely, like I said, it’s just a blip and we move ahead to Kolkata and do something better.”

Rajasthan Royals’ Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (ANI Photo)

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s meteoric rise in the Indian Premier League 2026 season has turned him into one of the most talked-about young cricketers in the country. The 15-year-old from Samastipur, Bihar, has been in sensational form, and his growing stardom has also brought increased attention off the field. However, amid the hype and endorsement deals, former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull has issued a timely warning. Sooryavanshi first grabbed widespread attention with his explosive knock in the Under-19 World Cup final against England. Since then, his profile has only grown, with multiple endorsements coming his way. While his success has been celebrated, Doull expressed concern about the kind of people surrounding the young batter at such a crucial stage of his career. “It is a word of caution. He already is a bit of a superstar. If things carry on, we all hope he will continue to be a superstar, an Indian superstar, in white-ball cricket in particular. It’s the people you surround yourself with. He would have had every management company looking for him and trying to find deals for him,” Doull said on Cricbuzz. Doull stressed that those managing Sooryavanshi must prioritise his long-term growth rather than financial gains. He pointed out that many management companies tend to focus more on their own profits instead of safeguarding a young player’s career. “Management companies and management people are there to look after you. Too many of them only think about looking out for themselves. How much can I make of this young man? How much can my company make of this young man? That’s the biggest issue I have with management companies worldwide,” he added. On the field, Sooryavanshi has backed up the hype with remarkable performances. He has already struck two half-centuries in IPL 2026, both coming at a breathtaking pace of just 15 balls. This follows his record-breaking century last season, when he smashed the fastest hundred by an Indian in the tournament, reaching the milestone in just 35 balls against the Gujarat Titans. His first setback this season came on Monday, when he was dismissed for a golden duck by Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Praful Hinge. Despite that blip, his overall impact remains immense. Doull reiterated that the teenager must be cautious about external influences and ensure he is surrounded by people who genuinely care about his development. “They all worry about what they can make, not how well I should be looking out for this young man? How much should I be looking out for his career? And not making him do much at this point. The longevity should be there. If you stop performing, they would go be chasing the next bloke because that’s what managers do,” said Doull. “Just be careful who you surround yourself with. If he’s got a good family and upbringing, he would be okay. But just watch out for the sharks,” he added.Rajasthan Royals suffered their first defeat of the season on Monday, going down to Sunrisers Hyderabad after winning four consecutive matches. Batting first, Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a formidable 216/6, with captain Ishan Kishan leading the charge with a brilliant 91. In response, Rajasthan Royals were bundled out for 159. Debutant pacer Praful Hinge made an immediate impact, picking up three wickets in his very first over, including the prized scalp of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for a golden duck. Rajasthan found themselves in deep trouble at 9/5 at one stage, before a fighting century partnership between Donovan Ferreira and Ravindra Jadeja helped them recover somewhat and reach 159.

NEW DELHI: Sunrisers Hyderabad dominated Rajasthan Royals in a one-sided IPL clash, winning by 57 runs after debutant pacer Praful Hinge produced a sensational spell that completely shattered RR’s top order. SRH first posted a huge total and then bowled RR out comfortably, sealing a strong comeback after earlier losses.