'Ba**s of steel': Ravi Shastri’s explosive verdict on Riyan Parag’s captaincy

Rajasthan Royals’ skipper Riyan Parag (ANI Photo)

Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag found himself at the centre of a gripping IPL 2026 contest, as a bold late-game decision helped his side edge past Gujarat Titans by six runs in Ahmedabad. The call not only proved decisive but also earned admiration from former India coach Ravi Shastri.Defending a sizeable 211 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Rajasthan appeared to be cruising for large parts of the chase. That changed rapidly when Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada launched a fierce counterattack, scoring at nearly a 200 strike rate to drag Gujarat back into contention. With momentum shifting, the equation came down to 15 required from the final 12 balls.

Watch

‘Bowlers have it hard’ – Glenn Phillips breaks down modern T20 cricket

At that critical stage, Parag opted to back Jofra Archer for the penultimate over. The move paid off instantly. Archer stuck to hard lengths and used his pace effectively, giving the batters no room to free their arms. The over yielded just four runs, with Rashid and Rabada limited to singles and no boundary conceded, tightening the equation to 11 off the final over.For the decisive final over, Parag showed further trust in his resources by handing the ball to Tushar Deshpande ahead of more experienced options like Nandre Burger and Sandeep Sharma. Deshpande justified that faith with a composed display under pressure. Consistently nailing his yorkers, he conceded just five runs and dismissed Rashid, sealing a dramatic victory for the Royals in what had briefly looked like a slipping contest.Shastri was quick to highlight both the quality of the game and Parag’s composure, sharing his reaction on Instagram.“Easily one of the best games in IPL history. Archive this one! Riyan Parag you have got ba**s of steel and a big future ahead, especially in a leadership role. Outstanding temperament. Well played!”

Shastri Insta story

Parag later revealed that the call to give Archer the 19th over was influenced by Dhruv Jurel, who had earlier played a crucial hand with the bat.

Poll

Which player do you think had the biggest impact on the game?

“I was actually going to switch the order, but credit to Jurel – he asked me to go with Jofra for the 19th,” he said, underlining how that timely suggestion shaped the outcome of the match.