Courtesy: BCCI/IPL
Rajasthan Royals (RR) coach Rahul Dravid has discussed Riyan Parag’s promotion in the batting order in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Parag batted at number three for RR in their initial matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) but failed to be effective in both games. Following his failures, several questions were raised on the RR team management regarding the handling of Parag. In 2024, Parag did a fine job for RR while batting at number four. Noting his previous season’s performance, RR supporters are asking why the youngster isn’t getting a chance in the upper middle-order.
Speaking on the move, Dravid said Parag is one of the most integral batters in the squad and he wants to give the 23-year-old the chance to play as many balls as he can in matches. "Look, Riyan is one of our best batters, let's be honest. And we want to give him as many balls as we possibly can. Twenty overs is a very short time and the more balls Riyan Parag bats for us, the better it is for us as a team," remarked Dravid at the pre-match press conference, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
"The move to No. 3 was a positive move to try and give him more time to bat. And we know how destructive a player he is and if he gets more time, then he can score more runs and that can benefit the team. So that was the thinking, but we can always assess that, and we can always see how it's going. And I think he's quite comfortable, he's more than capable of batting at any position," he added.
Rajasthan will be eager to open their account on points tally
RR will strive to play aggressive cricket against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Barsapara Stadium. Chennai have landed in Guwahati after facing a humiliating 50-run loss at the hands of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at home. This was the Yellow Army’s first loss against RCB at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in 17 years.
After the hammering from Bengaluru, CSK fans will also look to bounce back to get back to winning ways. Rajasthan looked completely miserable in their previous encounter against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Guwahati. Their challenge will be to recollect themselves to extract their first win of the season.
