Hyderabad: Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag made a candid admission following his team’s defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad, stating that he had not seen much of the opposition’s young pace duo who dismantled his side’s batting line-up.

After a dominant run in IPL 2026, Rajasthan Royals suffered their first loss of the season, going down by 57 runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad in a match that exposed vulnerabilities against relatively unknown bowlers.

“Not seen them a lot domestically”

Reflecting on the performance of debutants Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain, Parag acknowledged his limited exposure to them in domestic cricket.

“I have not seen them a lot domestically. Played Sakib once when I was playing for Assam versus Bihar. They bowled beautifully,” Parag said during the post-match presentation.

He also praised their composure under pressure, particularly in front of a vocal home crowd.

“The pressure they had, with the home crowd chanting their names, the way they bowled—it was beautiful,” he added.

Early collapse proves costly

The match turned decisively in the opening overs of Rajasthan Royals’ chase. Chasing a daunting target of 217, RR were rocked early by Hinge’s sensational first over.

The young pacer removed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel and Lhuan-dre Pretorius in the same over, leaving RR struggling at 1/3 almost immediately.

Sakib Hussain compounded the damage by dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal cheaply, before Hinge returned to remove Parag himself. Within three overs, Rajasthan Royals were reduced to a disastrous 9/5, effectively ending their hopes of a successful chase.

Parag calls defeat “just a blip”

Despite the heavy defeat, Parag remained composed and described the loss as a minor setback in an otherwise strong campaign.

“Not a lot of time to feel emotions. Credit to the way they bowled. A few miscalculations from us,” he said.

Speaking about the pitch conditions, Parag noted that the surface behaved differently at different stages.

“It was pretty good. Felt bowling second might have been better. It was sticky with the new ball. After the shine went, it slowed down. But again, that is hindsight and we could have batted better,” he explained.

He emphasised that the team would quickly move on from the defeat and focus on upcoming matches.

“Being five wickets down for nine and still getting to 160 says a lot about the depth. It is just a blip. We move ahead to Kolkata and something better,” he added.

SRH post imposing total

Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a commanding 216/6 after being put in to bat.

Captain Ishan Kishan led from the front with a blistering 91 off 44 balls, striking eight fours and six sixes. His innings provided the backbone of SRH’s total.

He was well supported by Heinrich Klaasen, who scored 40 off 26 balls, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who added a quick 28.

Late fightback shows RR’s depth

After the early collapse, Donovan Ferreira and Ravindra Jadeja provided some resistance with a crucial 118-run partnership.

Ferreira top-scored for RR with 69 off 44 balls, while Jadeja contributed a steady 45. Their stand helped Rajasthan Royals reach 159, avoiding a complete collapse and improving their net run rate.

However, the target proved too steep, and SRH bowlers wrapped up the innings in 19 overs, sealing a comprehensive victory.

Conclusion

While Rajasthan Royals remain at the top of the IPL 2026 points table, this defeat highlighted the impact of emerging domestic talent. Riyan Parag’s honest admission reflects the challenges teams face when encountering relatively unknown players who can deliver match-winning performances.

For Sunrisers Hyderabad, the rise of Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain signals a promising future, while Rajasthan Royals will look to regroup quickly as the tournament progresses.