Our Sports Reporter
GUWAHATI: Rajasthan Royals may have kicked off their IPL campaign with a convincing win, but captain Riyan Parag was left with mixed feelings after the match at the ACA Stadium on Monday night.
Despite the victory, Parag expressed disappointment over the lack of home support. Rajasthan Royals have adopted the Barsapara venue as one of their home grounds this season and are scheduled to play three matches there. However, the atmosphere told a different story, as a large section of the crowd turned up in support of Chennai Super Kings, with the stands awash in yellow jerseys.
Speaking to the media after the match, Parag said, “We are playing at our home ground, but it never felt like one. If the local crowd supports the opposition, it’s not good, and I’m not happy about it.”
On the field, though, the Royals were clinical. Reflecting on the eight-wicket win, Parag praised his team’s execution. “My team carried out the plans really well. The conditions suited us, and I think I did a decent job. Hopefully, we can repeat this in the next match if similar conditions are there,” he said.
The skipper also highlighted the significance of the toss. “There was quite a bit of moisture early on, which made a difference. The pitch changed as the game progressed, so yes, the toss played an important role.”
Parag reserved special praise for young batter Suryavanshi, who produced a stunning knock during the chase. Pursuing a modest target of 128, the youngster smashed a blistering 52 off just 16 balls, dismantling the opposition bowling attack with ease. Parag revealed the advice he had given him ahead of the season: “You’re going to play 14 games, and regardless of what happens, it shouldn’t bother you. What’s said in the media shouldn’t affect you.”
Meanwhile, batting coach of Chennai Super Kings Michael Hussey acknowledged that his team fell short of expectations. “Losing those early wickets put us under pressure, and we just couldn’t build a partnership. But we know we’re much better than what we showed today.”
He also said the team must learn to adapt better when conditions aren’t ideal for batting. “We need to take the lessons from this game that if the conditions aren’t perfect, maybe we need to adjust our sights a little bit and try to score our runs in different areas. So we’ll definitely take a few learnings from it,” he added.
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