&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "IPL 2026 | 'Every season there's something about him': RR coach Sangakkara backs skipper Parag after playoff qualification")
Skipper Riyan Parag found strong backing from Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara after leading RR into the IPL 2026 playoffs with a 30-run win over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday (May 24). The RR skipper, who has spent years facing criticism over his performances and consistency, was praised by Sangakkara for handling pressure and expectations despite constant scrutiny. The former Sri Lanka captain admitted he had “seen very few players criticised like Parag” in the IPL while backing the youngster’s growth as both batter and leader this season.
‘Seen very few players criticised like Parag’
Sangakkara did not hold back while defending his captain after RR’s crucial victory over MI in a virtual knockout clash. The RR coach pointed out how Parag has been under the scanner ever since entering the IPL as a teenager and credited him for staying mentally strong despite the pressure surrounding him every season.
“I’ve seen very few players criticised like Riyan,” Sangakkara said after the match. “For seven years, every season, there’s been something said about him.”
The RR head coach also highlighted Parag’s maturity as captain during high-pressure moments in IPL 2026 and said: "If you look at the calls he makes as captain, the confidence with which he drives himself, almost on one foot sometimes to come and play, there's a huge amount of positivity. I think he's captained exceptionally well. And when he's in that dressing room, he's got the respect of all the players and the staff. That's all you can ask for."
Riyan Parag’s record as RR captain in IPL 2026
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
Did China ask its people 'not to respond to aliens'? Origin of bizarre claim on social media
)
MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift
)
Scientists reveal the SAFEST COUNTRY when catastrophe strikes the planet
)
Serial killer on the loose in South Korea's Jeju Island? Fourth body found in three days as more than a dozen people go missing
)
2/3rd of glacier detached, collapsed: ISRO satellite images reveal what triggered Nepal floods
)
Trump once again claims without him there would be ‘no Israel right now’
)
Foreign espionage attacks against German companies surge to 37%, Bitkom report reveals
)
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
)
Why is Pakistan deploying Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones near India border?
)
'OH MY GOD! We've found other agents!': Investigators discover not one or two, almost 700 OpenAI AI agents went rogue, hacked Hugging Face
)
Lunar eclipse 2026: India timings, places to see and more. August Blood moon factsheet
)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on global outreach tour
)
Both pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in Lucknow – What we know
)
16-year-old charged with preparing terror attack on kindergarten in Norway
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the S-400 protects itself from enemy attacks
)
Nepal floods: Over 165 dead, 400 missing; US, India, China, World Bank mobilise aid
)
India's multi-layered watch: The new surveillance war
)
5 doomsday planes spotted in US skies hours after CIA director's secret trip to Russia
)
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to finally face trial in 2028, nearly 27 years after horrific attacks
)
Islamabad hospital fire: What we know about one of the biggest facility that housed Imran Khan
)
Workers run for life while filming Nepal flash flood: Scary new visuals emerge from Rasuwa
)
Russian military planes enter South Korean air defence zone amid rising tensions with North Korea: What's happening
)
Ron Weasley Is Back! Rupert Grint set to return to Harry Potter universe on Broadway
)
400-year-old 'vampire' grave in Poland reveals non-existent genetic lineage
)
Dolly Parton, global icon and queen of country music, dies at 80
)
Nepal flash floods: Kailash Mansarovar yatra affected, close to 400 pilgrims out of contact
)
'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate
)
Man arrested near US Capitol with guillotine in pickup truck: What happened?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI cockpit is painted bright turquoise green
Parag’s captaincy stint in IPL 2026 has slowly changed the narrative around him. The Assam batter has led Rajasthan Royals in crucial games while also producing useful performances with the bat under pressure.
As RR captain in IPL 2026:
Matches: 12
Runs: 272
Average: 24.73
Strike Rate: 152.81
Fifties: 2
Wins: 7
Losses: 5
Win percentage: 58.33%
While Parag’s numbers may not place him among the tournament’s absolute top run-scorers, his impact has come in pressure situations where RR needed quick momentum shifts. The playoffs qualification could now become a turning point in Parag’s IPL journey. For years, he remained one of the league’s most debated young cricketers. But after Rajasthan’s latest win and Sangakkara’s backing, the 24-year-old finally has a chance to win over both critics and fans.
