Rajasthan Royals performance coach Siddhartha Lahiri heaped praise on captain Riyan Parag for the side’s winning start to IPL 2026.
Royals outclassed Chennai Super Kings in their tournament opener in Guwahati before pipping Gujarat Titans away from home as Parag began his stint as permanent captain on a high.
“The credit goes to the captain. He is young, and a lot has been written about him.
“It starts from the top. And remember one thing – [a] cricket [team] will always be led by the captain,” said Lahiri on Monday on the eve of Royals’ clash against Mumbai Indians in Guwahati.
READ | Fast-starting Rajasthan Royals takes on Mumbai Indians’ might
“Even though he is young, his cricketing mind is better than that. And he proved it. It is because he is calm and composed under pressure. Even last year, when he wasn’t the [full-time] captain, he never buckled under pressure,” he added.
Lahiri pinpointed the execution of the final over in Royals’ win against Titans, when Tushar Deshpande defended 11 runs, as an example of Parag’s tactical acumen.
“Giving the ball to Tushar was a very big move. Before the first ball [of the final over], third-man was pushed back. And if you see how Rashid Khan played that ball, it would have been a four if third-man was up.
“When the captain believes that Tushar can deliver, when he gives the 19th over to Jofra Archer based on Dhruv Jurel’s input – it is only possible when there is chemistry and trust within the team. That is when the players perform,” suggested Lahiri.
Despite the strong start, Lahiri believes it is important for the Royals to stay grounded and stick to their plans.
“I think it’s still very early days for us. We have just played two games and we have done well. It’s a long season. So we can’t get excited. Our biggest challenge would be to stay level and just keep following the simple processes that we have been doing. And as long as we are doing that and not getting too worried about results, we will land up in good positions.”
Published on Apr 06, 2026
![Credit goes to skipper Riyan Parag for IPL 2026 start, says RR performance coach Rajasthan Royals performance coach Siddhartha Lahiri heaped praise on captain Riyan Parag for the side’s winning start to IPL 2026.Royals outclassed Chennai Super Kings in their tournament opener in Guwahati before pipping Gujarat Titans away from home as Parag began his stint as permanent captain on a high.“The credit goes to the captain. He is young, and a lot has been written about him.“It starts from the top. And remember one thing – [a] cricket [team] will always be led by the captain,” said Lahiri on Monday on the eve of Royals’ clash against Mumbai Indians in Guwahati.READ | Fast-starting Rajasthan Royals takes on Mumbai Indians’ might“Even though he is young, his cricketing mind is better than that. And he proved it. It is because he is calm and composed under pressure. Even last year, when he wasn’t the [full-time] captain, he never buckled under pressure,” he added.Lahiri pinpointed the execution of the final over in Royals’ win against Titans, when Tushar Deshpande defended 11 runs, as an example of Parag’s tactical acumen.“Giving the ball to Tushar was a very big move. Before the first ball [of the final over], third-man was pushed back. And if you see how Rashid Khan played that ball, it would have been a four if third-man was up.“When the captain believes that Tushar can deliver, when he gives the 19th over to Jofra Archer based on Dhruv Jurel’s input – it is only possible when there is chemistry and trust within the team. That is when the players perform,” suggested Lahiri.Despite the strong start, Lahiri believes it is important for the Royals to stay grounded and stick to their plans.“I think it’s still very early days for us. We have just played two games and we have done well. It’s a long season. So we can’t get excited. Our biggest challenge would be to stay level and just keep following the simple processes that we have been doing. And as long as we are doing that and not getting too worried about results, we will land up in good positions.”Published on Apr 06, 2026 #Credit #skipper #Riyan #Parag #IPL #start #performance #coach](https://i3.wp.com/ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/buhtb6/article70830930.ece/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1200/PTI04_04_2026_000791A.jpg?ssl=1 "Credit goes to skipper Riyan Parag for IPL 2026 start, says RR performance coach Rajasthan Royals performance coach Siddhartha Lahiri heaped praise on captain Riyan Parag for the side’s winning start to IPL 2026.Royals outclassed Chennai Super Kings in their tournament opener in Guwahati before pipping Gujarat Titans away from home as Parag began his stint as permanent captain on a high.“The credit goes to the captain. He is young, and a lot has been written about him.“It starts from the top. And remember one thing – [a] cricket [team] will always be led by the captain,” said Lahiri on Monday on the eve of Royals’ clash against Mumbai Indians in Guwahati.READ | Fast-starting Rajasthan Royals takes on Mumbai Indians’ might“Even though he is young, his cricketing mind is better than that. And he proved it. It is because he is calm and composed under pressure. Even last year, when he wasn’t the [full-time] captain, he never buckled under pressure,” he added.Lahiri pinpointed the execution of the final over in Royals’ win against Titans, when Tushar Deshpande defended 11 runs, as an example of Parag’s tactical acumen.“Giving the ball to Tushar was a very big move. Before the first ball [of the final over], third-man was pushed back. And if you see how Rashid Khan played that ball, it would have been a four if third-man was up.“When the captain believes that Tushar can deliver, when he gives the 19th over to Jofra Archer based on Dhruv Jurel’s input – it is only possible when there is chemistry and trust within the team. That is when the players perform,” suggested Lahiri.Despite the strong start, Lahiri believes it is important for the Royals to stay grounded and stick to their plans.“I think it’s still very early days for us. We have just played two games and we have done well. It’s a long season. So we can’t get excited. Our biggest challenge would be to stay level and just keep following the simple processes that we have been doing. And as long as we are doing that and not getting too worried about results, we will land up in good positions.”Published on Apr 06, 2026 #Credit #skipper #Riyan #Parag #IPL #start #performance #coach")