Sunil Gavaskar tears up over Riyan Parag’s on-field decisions after RR’s collapse against DC in key IPL 2026 match.

fight for IPL 2026 The playoffs intensified dramatically in the 62nd match of the tournament at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday. In a high-stakes encounter, Delhi Capitals (DC) He successfully pursued the huge target of 194 Rajasthan Royals (RR) third defeat in a row. While the match showcased exceptional batting power from both sides, it was a highly controversial tactical error in the death overs that stole the headlines and left cricket pundits questioning the Rajasthan captain’s leadership ability.

Sunil Gavaskar blasted Riyan Parag for his captaincy call in RR’s loss to DC during the crucial IPL 2026 clash.

Defending 193 runs, Rajasthan Royals looked good in the contest until their captain Rian Parag made a puzzling tactical choice. With Delhi Capitals requiring 35 runs in the last three overs, Parag gave the ball to the part-time spinner. Donovan Ferreira for the decisive 18th. The decision backfired spectacularly as Ferreira leaked 16 runs, including two massive sixes, and completely swung the momentum back to the hosts.

Speaking on Star Sports, former Indian captain and legendary opener Sunil Gavaskar he made a suicidal move, marking the captaincy.

“Giving the ball to Donovan Ferreira for the 18th goal was a suicidal move. You bring in a slow bowler who offers him no help. He was just bowling in the slot. It was his first game in the match. He also hit a golden duck with the bat. Sometimes you have to see where the luck goes that day,” Gavaskar pointedly pointed out.

The batting icon emphasized that confidence plays a big role in such high-pressure scenarios. “If he had scored 40 or 50 runs and his confidence was high, it would have been pointless to favor him. But he got the first ball out and you gave him the ball again. He went for 16 runs and the match was over. Done and dusted. Riyan Parag could have given the ball to the proper bartender, an ordinary bartender. Even if that bowler gives 20 runs, that is not the point. The point is that giving the ball to Donovan Ferreira at that crucial stage was a suicidal decision by Rajasthan Royals.“, he added

The tactical error put the regular bowlers under huge pressure. Brijesh Sharma He leaked 12 runs in the penultimate over, leaving Adam Milne to defend just seven runs off the last six balls. DC’s batting sub, Ashutosh Sharma, finished the game off the first two deliveries of the 20th over to seal a 5 wicket win.

At the beginning of the match, Mitchell StarcA death-bowling masterclass restricted RR to 193/8. Despite an explosive half-century of 46 off 21 balls from the young prodigy along with Dhruv Jurel (53 off 40) and Riyan Parag (51 off 26) Vaibhav SuryavanshiRR fell from a position of power. Starc took 4 for 40, dismissing Parag, Ferreira and the debutant in the 15th over for a sensational hat-trick. Ravi Singh.

Gavaskar praised Starc’s situational awareness: “Starc didn’t have much power. But when he came back at the death, he bowled with great control. He did not let those who fell from Rajasthan free their arms. He smothered runs and took important wickets. Those wickets turned the match in favor of Delhi.”

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Hold DC nerve to outlast RR in dramatic IPL 2026

The scorecard painted a picture of a thrilling, high-scoring chase in which Delhi Capitals held their nerve at the crucial moment. Chasing 194, DC got off to a flyer in the Powerplay, scoring 72 runs without loss. Openers Abishek Porel (51 from 31 balls) and KL Rahul (56 off 42 balls) laid a magnificent foundation with his 105-run opening stand.

Although Jofra Archer (2/35) and Brijesh (2/44) caused a mini collapse to reduce DC to 153/4, Akhar Patel‘s undefeated, ice-cold 34-18 ball catch. Backed by a fiery cameo Ashutosh Sharma (18* off 5), Delhi comfortably scaled the target in 4 balls to finish at 197/5. The win keeps Delhi’s playoff hopes alive as they leave Rajasthan scrambling to regroup after a costly tactical misstep.

Also READ: Riyan Parag reveals the reasons behind Rajasthan Royals’ defeat to Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026