IPL 2026: Why was Ravindra Jadeja not given a single over against SRH? RR captain Riyan Parag explained. Read
Rajasthan Royals (RR) of IPL 2026 The undefeated run ended when Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) achieved an impressive 57-run win at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. While the result itself was a big talking point, one particular decision taken by RR captain Riyan Parag left fans and experts puzzled – why was Ravindra Jadeja not given a single over with the ball?
Ryan Parag explains reasons for ignoring Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling during RR’s first defeat in IPL 2026
With SRH posting a mammoth score of 216 runs on the board, many expected Jadeja to play a role, especially in the middle overs where the pitch was starting to provide some support for the slower bowlers. However, the experienced left-arm spinner remained unused throughout the innings, raising questions over the team’s bowling strategy.
Discussing the decision after the match, Parag admitted that it was not part of a well-thought-out plan, but a spur-of-the-moment decision taken in the heat of the moment. “Jadu bhai, I don’t know, it was just a spur of the moment decision,” explained Parag. “Ishan (Kishan) was batting very well, so I didn’t want to take that chance.”
The young captain explained that there was some initial support on the pitch with the new ball, which influenced his decision. SRH skipper Ishan Kishan led the innings with 91 off 44 balls, which also included an aggressive 40 from Heinrich Klaasen, making it difficult for RR to control the scoring rate.
Parag relied heavily on his fast bowling and bowled one over himself, in which he gave 10 runs. However, Jadeja’s lack of control and experience allowed SRH to maintain their pace and post a challenging total.
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The decision to keep Jadeja out of the bowling attack was not liked by many people in the cricket world. Former Indian captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth was particularly critical, questioning the rationale behind the move.
“He is only there for style. Like always, he did nothing with the bat and spoke in the post-match presentation. He does not bowl an over to Jadeja and then gives this explanation that a left-handed batsman was playing. Is there a rule that a left-arm spinner cannot bowl to a left-handed batsman? This is absurd,” Srikanth said on his YouTube channel.
Parag himself had a disappointing performance with the bat, scoring only 4 runs in 6 balls as RR’s innings collapsed early. Reaching 5 for 9 in the first three overs, the Royals were effectively out of the contest.
Amidst the chaos, Jadeja stepped up with the bat and showed his importance to the team. Batting at a crucial moment, he played a composed 45 off 32 balls and stitched a wonderful 118-run partnership with Donovan Ferreira, who scored 69 off 44 balls.
His effort helped RR earn some respectability, but the damage inflicted by SRH’s bowlers – especially debutants Praful Hinge (4/34) and Saqib Hussain (4/24) – proved too difficult to overcome. Rajasthan eventually lost, their first defeat of the season.
Despite the loss, RR remains on top of the points table with 8 points from five matches. While SRH have moved up to fourth position after their second win of the campaign.
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