Eden Gardens hosted a classic ipl 2026 Thriller on Sunday, as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) competed against Rajasthan Royals (RR) In the 28th match of the season. While the match was decided in the final over, the real fireworks started after the match. experienced spinner Ravichandran Ashwin He left no stone unturned in criticizing the RR captain Riyan ParagBlaming the young leader for a tactical mistake that potentially led to the Royals losing.
Ravichandran Ashwin questions Ryan Parag over limited usage of Ravindra Jadeja against KKR
In a scathing analysis on his YouTube channel, Ashwin accused Parag of failing to trust him Ravindra JadejaThe most senior and respected player of the team. Despite being the most sought-after bowler among the bowlers, taking 2 wickets for 8 runs in just 3 overs, he was not given the full quota of four overs, a move Ashwin finds inexcusable.
“You have a world class left arm spinner. Sure, the numbers and data may tell you something, but they have given away only 9 or 11 runs in three overs and taken two wicketsAshwin commented. He suggested that Parag fell into the trap of over-analyzing the matchup instead of supporting the hot hand.
“When Rinku Singh tried to hit, he was very close to being out, but you thought, ‘I am an off-spinner; I can put pressure on both these left-handed batsmen, but Jaddu will not be able to do that. Although Ravi Bishnoi can do it, you thought Jaddu wouldn’t be able to. I’m telling you, that’s the mentality“he said while lambasting the Rajasthan Royals captain.
He argued that protecting an experienced player like Jadeja from left-handed batsmen sends a harmful message to the locker room. “It is possible that Jaddu bowls and the batsman hits two sixes, but by not bowling him you are not showing confidence in your bowling unit in the long run.Ashwin said.
Ashwin further emphasized that such captaincy crushes the player’s confidence. “If a left-arm spinner knows he is not wanted against a left-armer, he will not even try. As a captain or team management, if you are telling them, ‘This is not your job,’ then see what happens to the ball… If Ravindra Jadeja had taken that wicket of Rinku Singh, he would have been man of the match today,He quipped.
Comparing the leading batsmen, Ashwin concluded: “Does it ever happen that you don’t send Mitchell Marsh to bat? You don’t send Rishabh Pant? You don’t send Nicholas Pooran? This never happens. So, what I am saying is that if you can take Brijesh Sharma, who has no experience in the IPL, and give him the 18th and 20th overs in his first game, then you can definitely give them to Jadeja.“
Rinku Singh leads KKR to dramatic win over RR in IPL 2026
The tactical debate over Jadeja’s usage became the focal point due to RR’s narrow defeat. Batting first, Rajasthan Royals made a modest score of 155/9. Great start to the innings Vaibhav Suryavanshi Played a quick inning of 46 runs in 28 balls, which was supported by Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 39. However, KKR’s spin pair Varun Chakraborty (3/14) and Sunil Narine (2/26) Suppressed the middle order, making the RR total below normal.
In reply, KKR’s target was not easy. Jofra Archer and Ravindra Jadeja destroyed the top order, taking KKR to 85/6 by the 14th over. Jadeja was lethal, was removing Angkrish Raghuvanshi And rovman powell While maintaining the economy of 2.66.
However, the game changed when Parag chose to use himself and the inexperienced Brijesh Sharma In the final stages instead of Jadeja finishing the over. Rinku Singh Took advantage of the opportunity and chased the target by scoring a brilliant unbeaten 53 runs in 34 balls. Supported by late cameos Anukul Roy (29 off 16), Rinku took KKR to 161/6 and won by 4 wickets with only two balls remaining. While Chakravarthy lifted the Player of the Match trophy, there will be concerns in the Royals camp about Jadeja’s unused overs.