Handed the captaincy for the first three games of IPL 2025, Riyan Parag was under pressure after the Rajasthan Royals lost the opening two matches before a collective effort from Nitish Rana and Wanindu Hasaranga helped the team open their account with a nervy six-wicket victory against Chennai Super Kings here on Sunday.
Rana came up with an explosive 81 off 36 deliveries to power the Royals to 182/9 before Sri Lankan spinner Hasaranga spun a web claiming four top order wickets to stifle CSK. Besides the duo, there were sparks of individual brilliance that helped Rajasthan snap their losing run.
Nitish preferred to pick Riyan’s one-handed stunner to remove Shivam Dube as the turning point ahead of his fiery knock.
“I believe Riyan’s catch at cover was a crucial turning point in the game,” Nitish said at the post-match conference.
On being asked about the 23-year-old’s captaincy, Nitish, who had previously led the Kolkata Knight Riders, said he doesn’t believe in the notion of judging a player’s ability to captain a side based on results.
“I think it’s very result-oriented. People praise a captain when results are favourable, but I believe it’s about winning small battles in T20, with the right bowlers and strategies,” he said.
Nitish, infact, credited the coaches and regular skipper Sanju Samson for creating a team atmosphere that helps in maintaining composure regardless of results.
“The dressing room atmosphere, created by the coaches and Sanju, is calm, maintaining a level-headed approach regardless of wins or losses. This focus on process rather than panic was evident in the first two matches and led to today’s two points,” he said.
After the first two heartbreaks, the Royals also tweaked their batting order on Sunday, with Rana and Parag swapping places inside the top four. On being asked about his promotion to No.3, Nitish is open to bat at any position as long as it works for the team.
“Yesterday (on match eve), I got a call from Rahul sir before practice, informing me that I would be batting at number 3. I wasn’t at practice due to not feeling well, but I was ready to bat wherever the team needed me. I learned from the previous two matches that I was trying to hit too hard,” he said.
“Riyan also told me yesterday that I might be needed to bat at No. 3, and I said ‘okay, I am always ready to bat at any position that suits the team’,” he said.
He also explained about the change in approach that helped him get the desired result.
“In today’s match, I focused on using the pace of the new ball to my advantage, which increased my success rate in scoring runs. It resulted in a good innings and two important points for the team,” he said.
On being asked if he felt the team could have breached 200, given the kind of fiery start it got in the first 12 overs, Rana said, “There was no specific target, but you can’t bat in one flow from the first to the last ball. The game has many phases, and it slows down during the middle overs.”
“At the end of the innings, I thought we might be 10 to 15 runs short. I was aiming for 200, but I guess 180 was a good score on this wicket.
He also credited Englishman Jofra Archer for setting the tone with the wicket maiden.
“Credit goes to Jofra for his excellent bowling in the Powerplay, which was as important as batting. The ball gets older after the Powerplay, starts to spin, and slows down,” he said.