Parag: Miscalculation from my side, I should have finished it

Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Riyan Parag has taken responsibility for not finishing off the chase against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and said the team was facing the consequences of not being clinical enough in IPL 2025.

Chasing 207 at Eden Gardens, RR were reduced to 71 for 5 in the eighth over. Parag led the fightback by making 95 off 45 deliveries but fell to Harshit Rana in the 18th over after they failed to hit a boundary for 16 deliveries - a period when they also lost Shimron Hetmyer. Eventually, RR fell one run short of KKR's total despite scoring 20 in a thrilling final over.

"I was just too sad about getting myself out," Parag said after making his highest T20 score. "I was planning to stay till the last two overs, we couldn't get much of the 16th and the 17th, hence I went after [the bowling] in the 18th over. But then probably a miscalculation from my side, I should have finished it."

Parag hit six consecutive sixes, five of which came in a 32-run over from Moeen Ali, becoming the first player to do so in the IPL.

"It's a ground where sixes are hit. The ground is very, very fast. So I knew I had my boundaries if I just stood in there," he said. "The wicket was a little tricky. It was stopping, it was turning, but I just had to pick my battles and I thought I did that pretty well until the last over which I got out."

With just three wins in 12 matches, RR are eighth on the points table and are out of contention for the playoffs. It could have been different had they been able to clinch several closes finishes: they lost to Delhi Capitals in a Super Over, lost to Lucknow Super Giants by two runs, couldn't chase 18 off 12 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and then came so close against KKR.

"It's just how the game is. You've got to be clinical, you've got to be perfect every single day you step out on the field and we weren't," Parag said. "So the consequences are here."

RR batting coach Vikram Rathour pointed out that Parag's dismissal was the turning point in the match. "If he was in there, I am sure he would have finished it off," Rathour said at the press conference.

"Mostly, all the batters have scored runs. They are in good form, batting well in the nets. But it hasn't been happening collectively. Similarly, in bowling, we have seen some really good spells individually. But as a group, maybe we haven't clicked," he said. "That is one thing that we have missed.

"There is no issue with the quality. We have really good quality in our batting. We were not able to close the game and finish it.

"I am sure that in the next couple of seasons, we will be a really good batting group and a really good team to compete against."

RR's decision to retain Hetmyer while letting go of Jos Buttler has come under the spotlight in RR's disappointing season, with Buttler playing a starring role for his new franchise Gujarat Titans and Hetmyer going through a rough patch of form.

Hetmyer scored 29 on Sunday, but has failed to go past 15 in five innings and has just 216 runs from 11 knocks this season. But Rathour backed the team management's decision to hold on to the West Indies batter, whose retention cost them INR 11 crore in the auction.

"I won't say it was a mistake. Obviously, you could have retained only six. The management is pretty happy with the six that we have retained," Rathour said. "Hetty is supposed to be that finisher. Unfortunately, he has had that kind of a season.

"He is a superb player. He has done that [finisher's role] in the past, he's done well in international cricket, league cricket or franchise cricket. This year, he hasn't been able to finish the games. That was his role. People are allowed to have those kinds of seasons. I have worked enough in cricket to know that really good players also go through lean phases.

"Unfortunately, Hetty had a poor season this year, which will happen once in a while. If he had a good season and we are sure that he is going to improve, I don't think we have any issue with the finishers then."