Moments after Rajasthan Royals sealed the final Indian Premier League playoffs berth with a convincing win over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday (May24, 2026) night, head coach Kumar Sangakkara passionately defended captain Riyan Parag, insisting the young allrounder remains the “absolute right guy” to lead the franchise despite a turbulent IPL 2026 season.

Parag’s maiden full season as captain has been marked by inconsistent batting returns, recurring fitness concerns and off-field scrutiny, including repeated social media criticism following the vaping incident in the dressing room during a match. Yet, Sangakkara made it clear that the Royals management remains firmly invested in the 24-year-old.

“I have seen very few players who have been criticised like Riyan has been for about seven years now,” Sangakkara said. “Ever since I came to the franchise, there have always been people who liked Riyan, but there are a lot who didn’t really like him, especially on social media. But that’s the reality of the modern game.”

The former Sri Lankan captain revealed that Rajasthan never doubted Parag’s leadership credentials when handing him the captaincy before the season.

“When we decided to offer Riyan the captaincy, he was the absolute right guy to lead this franchise. I have no doubt in my mind,” Sangakkara said.

Despite battling physical niggles through parts of the campaign and enduring fluctuating form with the bat, Parag continued to front up for the Royals during their successful late push towards qualification. Sangakkara particularly praised the batter’s resilience and commitment.

“The confidence with which he drives himself, sometimes almost on one foot to come and play, there is a huge amount of positivity,” Sangakkara observed. “I think he has captained exceptionally well.”

Sangakkara also stressed that Parag commands complete respect inside the dressing room, irrespective of outside noise.

“Sometimes what you see on the outside is not Riyan Parag,” he said. “He is a lovely, soft, gentle, really determined, smart young man. He has learned a lot in the last few years and he will continue on that journey.”

Nine 200-plus totals conceded and six consecutive losses have left Punjab Kings (PBKS) facing a complex qualification scenario in the ongoing Indian Premier League season.

Gearing up for a do-or-die fixture against the Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium here on Saturday (May 23, 2026), PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting rued the team’s inability to deliver in crunch moments.

“Yes, we’ve lost six games in a row. But there have been very few games where we’ve been outplayed. We got into winning positions in most but haven’t been able to close them out,” he said.

A key factor in the team’s decline has been Arshdeep Singh’s dip in form compared to last season. However, Ponting defended his frontline pacer, noting that the shortest format has shifted drastically in favor of batters.

“In the last three games, Arshdeep has been getting back to his best,” Ponting said. “He didn’t pick up wickets in the first three games, but since then, he’s been pretty consistent.”

Ponting emphasised the high-scoring nature of the tournament to contextualise the bowling struggles. “We have conceded nine 200-plus totals, but we’ve made 200s eight times. The IPL has become a much higher-scoring tournament, and bowlers’ figures reflect that. I’ve been extremely happy with how Arshdeep has bowled.”

Come Saturday, PBKS will hope Arshdeep and the bowling attack can finally flip the script and deliver crucial, match-defining breakthroughs with the team’s playoffs qualification on the line.

On the other hand, an already eliminated LSG comes into the game with nothing to lose. It already played a part in Chennai Super Kings’ exit and will look to do the same against the visitor.

“We haven’t found the ideal winning formula this season so far. So, hopefully moving into tomorrow, we can do that, and we can put on one final good show for our fans at home,” said LSG assistant coach Lance Klusener.