Riyan Parag produced his best innings of IPL 2026 on Friday, May 1, scoring 90 off 50 balls against Delhi Capitals, to help Rajasthan Royals recover after a rare top-order collapse at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur.
The knock, his highest this season and second-highest in the IPL, came at a strike rate of 180 and featured eight fours and five sixes. It's also his first half-century since taking over as captain of the franchise at the start of the season.
Walking in with Rajasthan in trouble, having lost both openers in the first two overs, Parag took his time to settle in. The 24-year-old scored just 8 off the first 12 balls before exploding against Kyle Jamieson in the final over of the powerplay.
Here's a look at the moment the RR captain shifted gears:
A counter attack to absorb the pressure 🔥
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 1, 2026
🎥 Glimpses of Riyan Parag's fiery knock after early wickets 👏
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/6OOjzHtZiD#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #RRvDC | @rajasthanroyals pic.twitter.com/byZgpuAtyX
Parag hit six, four and six off the first three balls to race to 25 off 16 after 6 overs. He smacked back-to-back sixes against Axar Patel in the 9th over and celebrated reaching his season's first half-century in the 11th over by hitting T Natarajan for a four and six off the last two balls.
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With Dhruv Jurel (42 off 30) playing the anchor, Parag accelerated the innings in a 102-run partnership off 59 balls. Even after Jurel's dismissal, Parag maintained the tempo alongside Ravindra Jadeja, with the duo adding 53 off 28 balls before they were split.
Parag targeted Jamieson again in the 16th over, hitting the Kiwi for a hat-trick of fours to reach 90 after 16 overs. However, his stay at the crease was brought to an end soon after as the returning Mitchell Starc got rid of both Jadeja (20 off 14) and Parag in the same over.
The Aussie fired in a back of length delivery that held in the pitch as Parag mistimed his drive high to extra cover, ending a knock that had shifted Rajasthan out of early trouble.
Here's a look at the double-wicket over from Starc:
Ravindra Jadeja ✅
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 1, 2026
Riyan Parag ✅
🎥 Mitchell Starc comes up clutch yet again with a double-strike! 💪
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/6OOjzHtrt5#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #RRvDC | @DelhiCapitals pic.twitter.com/F28UTTiGor
The innings arrives days after Parag was fined for a Level 1 breach of the IPL Code of Conduct following a vaping incident during Rajasthan's previous match. Broadcast footage captured the Royals captain using a vape in the dressing room, drawing scrutiny given India's regulations on e-cigarettes and the league's conduct standards.
He was fined 25% of his match fee and handed one demerit point.
The off-field episode added to the focus on Parag's season, which had been underwhelming with the bat despite Rajasthan's strong position on the points table. Prior to today, Parag had managed just 117 runs from nine outings, with his previous highest score this season being 29.
This innings offered a clear reminder of Parag's batting range with the RR captain looking back to his fluent best, offering a response on the field after a week of scrutiny.
Following Parag's dismissal, Donovan Ferreira provided a late burst with an unbeaten 47* off just 14 balls to take RR to 226/6 after they opted to bat first.
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