Rajasthan Royals (RR) are facing a do-or-die situation in the ongoing IPL 2026, and the biggest question before their must-win clash against Delhi Capitals on May 17 in Delhi is around captain Riyan Parag. After missing the last game because of a hamstring injury, there is finally some good news coming from the Rajasthan Royals (RR) camp.
The Royals have recently suffered a 77-run defeat against the Gujarat Titans, and this loss pushed them out of the top four, leaving their playoffs in danger. But if they manage to beat Delhi Capitals (DC) on Sunday, Rajasthan can jump back into the IPL 2026 playoff race again.
Riyan Parag fit again and ready to face DC in Do-or-Die IPL 2026 clash
Ahead of the DC vs RR IPL 2026 clash in Delhi, the Rajasthan Royals have received the biggest relief as Riyan Parag is back in the nets. The young all-rounder has now recovered from the hamstring problem that had forced him to miss the previous game against the Gujarat Titans.
The RR skipper has returned to batting at the nets, and he was seen batting comfortably in the nets during RR’s practice session before the Delhi Capitals clash. He is now all but set to return to the Rajasthan Royals’ playing XI for the big match against the Capitals on Sunday.
Parag came into IPL 2026 with the huge responsibility of leading the Rajasthan Royals as their full-time captain. He has been impressive as a captain, but failed to deliver with the bat this season. In 10 matches this season, Parag has scored 206 runs with an average of 22.89 and a strike rate of 143.06.
Kumar Sangakkara shares crucial advice to Riyan Parag on handling captaincy and batting pressure
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals head coach and director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara confirmed that Riyan Parag is expected to be available for the Delhi Capitals fixture on Sunday.
Sangakkara also explained that Parag has three different roles on the team—as a batter, as a captain, and as a leader. He suggested to the young skipper not to mix his batting with captaincy pressure and to keep both jobs separate while playing in the high-pressure tournament.
Kumar Sangakkara said at the pre-match press conference: “We were expecting him to be fully fit and ready. I think Riyan has three roles. One is captain, leader, and batter. Every single time, he’s got to separate the three a little bit.
Captaincy and leadership go a little bit more hand-in-hand, whereas batting, he just has to enjoy his batting as Riyan Parag, the batter. I thought his captaincy this season had been excellent—very, very good. He’s learning very quickly. He’s making some good, great decisions out there.”
Sangakkara calls RR schedule unusual amid IPL 2026 struggles
The Rajasthan Royals are going through a tough phase in IPL 2026. After a strong start with four straight wins, their momentum has fallen badly. They have now lost five of their last seven matches and are sitting fifth on the points table, which has made their playoff chances uncertain.
And Sangakkara said the team has had a strange schedule this season, with some back-to-back games and then long breaks in between. During these breaks, the focus has been more on resting, regrouping, and improving team bonding instead of heavy training.