“He doesn’t”: Riyan Parag drops blunt verdict on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi following – IPL 2026: Riyan Parag Praises Vaibhav Sooryavanshi After RR Qualifier 2 Exit
A Night of High Stakes and Hard Lessons
The TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 reached a fever pitch during Qualifier 2 at New Chandigarh, where the Gujarat Titans clashed with the Rajasthan Royals in a high-stakes encounter. For the Rajasthan Royals, the evening ended in disappointment, as they were defeated by 7 wickets, effectively ending their championship campaign. Despite the crushing nature of the exit, the narrative of the match was largely defined by the emergence of a new superstar in the making, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Controversy and the First Innings
The drama began even before the first ball was bowled. In a rare administrative hiccup, the match referee failed to clearly hear the call during the toss, necessitating a redo. Once play commenced, Riyan Parag, opting to bat first, kept faith in the lineup that had secured victory against SRH. The Gujarat Titans made a single tactical adjustment, bringing in R. Sai Kishore to bolster their bowling attack.
The Royals faced an immediate crisis, losing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel early, leaving the side reeling at 9/2. In a strategic shift, Ravindra Jadeja moved up the order, providing stability before being forced to retire hurt after scoring 34 runs. The middle phase of the innings was anchored by a spectacular performance from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
The Rise of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Sooryavanshi put on a masterclass, displaying maturity well beyond his years. While he agonisingly missed out on a century, finishing with a brilliant 96, his innings was the heartbeat of the Royals’ total. Complemented by a late-order surge from Donovan Ferreira, who smashed 38 off just 11 balls, the Royals managed to post a formidable 214/10 on the board.
Reflecting on the match, Riyan Parag noted that while 214 was competitive, the pitch conditions shifted significantly as the evening progressed. ‘It was a par score; it was defendable. I felt after the heavy roller, it got better in the 2nd innings,’ Parag explained. He admitted that, in hindsight, an additional 20 or 30 runs might have secured the victory.
Gujarat Titans’ Dominant Response
The chase was characterized by a clinical display from the Titans. Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan dismantled the Royals’ bowling attack early, forging a 167-run partnership. The dismissal of Sudharsan—who was famously dismissed hit-wicket for the second time in three days—provided a fleeting moment of respite for the Royals, but the damage was already done.
Shubman Gill commanded the crease with authority, racing to 104 runs before his departure. With Rahul Tewatia and Washington Sundar applying the finishing touches, the Titans comfortably chased down the target, leaving the Royals to ponder what could have been.
Parag’s Verdict on the Future
Despite the defeat, Riyan Parag remained optimistic about the future of his young squad. ‘There were many positives. We weren’t supposed to qualify, given that many players were young and inexperienced, but many youngsters performed well and can only improve from here,’ he stated.
Perhaps the most significant takeaway from his post-match address was his glowing appraisal of Sooryavanshi. Rejecting the notion that the young batter is merely a ‘slogger,’ Parag emphasized the intelligence behind the performance. ‘He doesn’t slog. You could see his innings today—he calculates and plays his shots. I can’t say how, but hopefully, he will go on to do well in his career, do well for the Rajasthan Royals and win us a second title.’
As the curtains close on the Royals’ 2026 campaign, the performance of the youth brigade, headlined by the calculated brilliance of Sooryavanshi, provides a solid foundation for the franchise to build upon in the seasons to come.
