Rajasthan Royals lost another close match against the Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, falling short of a target of 206 by just one run. This thrilling encounter witnessed KKR narrowly defeating RR, securing two crucial points that kept them in the playoff race with 11 points and three matches remaining for the defending champions.
Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Royals, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention, put up a tough fight against KKR. Their captain, Riyan Parag, nearly single-handedly chased down the total, but KKR's bowlers maintained their composure at the end to snatch victory from RR.
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Reflecting on yet another narrow loss, RR's batting coach Vikram Rathour discussed the three previous games that were also lost by close margins, stating,
"If I am counting right, it's the fourth game in which we found ourselves in a position to win, but were unable to finish it. That's the kind of season we've had."
Riyan Parag's impressive innings
The RR batting coach also spoke about Riyan Parag’s impressive innings of 95 runs off 45 balls, which included six consecutive sixes, five of which were against Moeen Ali. However, Parag was dismissed by Harshit Rana, who bowled a slower ball that Rathour referred to as the turning point of the match. He asserted that if Riyan had remained at the crease, he would have likely guided the team to victory.
"Riyan Parag getting out was the turning point," Rathour said.
"If he had been there until the end, I am sure he would have finished it off." He added that the team hasn't functioned as a cohesive unit, which has cost them games this season.
When discussing the overall performance of the batting unit this season, Rathour expressed his satisfaction with their form, noting that they had been performing well in the nets and in matches. However, he pointed out concerns about their collective performance, emphasizing that when the batting is strong, the bowling falters, and mistakes in fielding have also led to significant losses.
"Most of our batters have scored runs. They are in good form and batting well in practice. But it hasn't translated collectively. Similarly, in bowling, we've seen some really good individual performances, but as a group, we haven't clicked. The fielding has also let us down. A lot of things haven't gone our way this season, and there are many areas to improve upon."
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Rathour Reflects on Hetmyer’s Season
Rathour also addressed the decision to retain Shimron Hetmyer over Jos Buttler, clarifying that it was not a mistake. He explained that the management was satisfied with their choices this season, as Hetmyer was seen as a finisher and had performed well in the past, even though this season has not been his best.
"I wouldn’t say it was a mistake," Rathour stated.
"Obviously, we could only retain six players, and the management is pretty happy with those choices. Hetty was expected to be our finisher, but unfortunately, he's had a challenging season."
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