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Rajasthan Royals (RR) are facing a do-or-die situation in the ongoing IPL 2026, and the biggest question ahead of their win against Delhi Capitals in Delhi on May 17 is over captain Riyan Parag. After missing the last game due to a hamstring injury, finally some good news is coming from the Rajasthan Royals (RR) camp.
The Royals recently suffered a 77-run defeat against Gujarat Titans and the defeat has knocked them out of the top four, putting their playoff spot in danger. But if they manage to defeat Delhi Capitals (DC) on Sunday, Rajasthan can be back in the race for the IPL 2026 playoffs.
Riyan Parag is fit again and ready to face DC in do-or-die encounter of IPL 2026
Ahead of the DC vs RR IPL 2026 clash in Delhi, Rajasthan Royals have got the biggest relief as Riyan Parag is back in the nets. The young all-rounder has now recovered from the hamstring problem due to which he had to miss the last match against Gujarat Titans.
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The RR skipper has returned to bat in the nets, and was seen batting comfortably in the nets during RR’s practice session ahead of the Delhi Capitals clash. He is now all set to return to the playing eleven of Rajasthan Royals for the big match against the Capitals on Sunday.
Parag comes with the huge responsibility of leading Rajasthan Royals as the full-time captain in IPL 2026. He has been impressive as a captain, but has failed to perform well with the bat this season. Parag has scored 206 runs in 10 matches this season at an average of 22.89 and strike rate of 143.06.
Kumar Sangakkara gives important advice to Riyan Parag to deal with the pressure of captaincy and batting
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals head coach and director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara confirmed that Riyan Parag is expected to be available for Delhi Capitals on Sunday.
Sangakkara also revealed that Parag has three different roles in the team – as a batsman, as a captain and as a leader. He suggested the young captain not to mix his batting with the pressure of captaincy and keep both tasks separate while playing in high-pressure tournaments.
Kumar Sangakkara said in the pre-match press conference: “We were expecting him to be fully fit and ready. I think Ryan has three roles. A captain, a leader and a batsman. Every time, he has to juggle all three a little bit.
Captaincy and leadership go hand in hand to some extent, while batting he just has to enjoy his batting as batsman Riyan Parag. I thought his captaincy this season was excellent – very, very good. He is learning very fast. He’s making some good, great decisions out there.”
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Sangakkara calls RR schedule unusual amid IPL 2026 struggles
Rajasthan Royals are going through a difficult phase in IPL 2026. After a strong start with four consecutive wins, their form has fallen badly. They have now lost five of their last seven matches and are fifth on the points table, making their playoff prospects uncertain.
And Sangakkara said the team’s schedule this season has been strange, consisting of a few games in a row and then long breaks in between. During these breaks, there is more focus on resting, regrouping, and improving team bonding rather than heavy training.