KKR beat RR by four wickets with two balls to spare and secured their 1st win of IPL 2026. Rinku Singh and Anukul Roy were the heroes as they took KKR home after 85/6 while chasing a target of 156. With one run needed from three balls, Rinku smashed one into the stands to reach his half-century and win the game. But taking nothing away from Rinku and Anukul, spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin believes Riyan Parag’s captaincy errors towards the end played a role in RR’s loss.

Ravichandran Ashwin Not Impressed by Riyan Parag’s Captaincy

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin blasted Parag for not bowling Ravindra Jadeja in the final over after the left-armer had taken two wickets. He slammed Parag for not trusting his bowling unit. This is RR’s 2nd loss in IPL 2026 and they are in 3rd place while KKR are in 9th position.

© X/IPL

"You have a world-class left-arm spinner. Sure, numbers and data can tell you something, but he has conceded only 9 or 11 runs in three overs and taken two wickets. When Rinku Singh tried to hit, he was so close to getting out, but you thought, 'I am an off-spinner; I can put pressure on these two left-handers, but Jaddu won't be able to.' Though Ravi Bishnoi can, you felt Jaddu won't be able to. I am telling you, this is the mindset. It is possible that Jaddu bowls and the batter hits two sixes, but by not bowling him, you are not showing trust in your bowling unit in the long term," he said.

What Ravichandran Ashwin Wishes Riyan Parag Would Have Done

"If a left-arm spinner knows he isn't wanted against a left-hander, he won't even try. As a captain or team management, if you are telling him, 'This is not your job,' look at what happens to the ball. You won four out of five games, and in this party, if Ravindra Jadeja had taken that wicket of Rinku Singh, he would have been the Man of the Match today. If he becomes the Man of the Match, the Rajasthan Royals become a solid 7-8 player team; the way your team looks then is so good," he added.

© X/IPL

"It is possible that you can lose but understand that you should lose with one of your better bowlers having bowled. Does it ever happen that you don't send Mitchell Marsh to bat? You don't send Rishabh Pant? You don't send Nicholas Pooran? That never happens. So, what I am saying is that if you can take Brijesh Sharma, who has no experience in the IPL, and give him the 18th and 20th overs in his first game, you can definitely give them to Jadeja. You can give them to Bishnoi, but you can also give them to Jadeja," he went on to say.

RR on Course for IPL 2026 Playoffs

RR’s next game is vs LSG on April 22 and the inaugural champions will want to return to winning ways. They have not won the title since 2008 and lost in the 2022 final. As of now, RR are well poised to make it to the Playoffs with eight games left. If and when they do, they shall have a shot to win a 2nd IPL title.