‘Was a big risk’ – Riyan Parag lauded for trusting Tushar Deshpande with final over in thriller GT vs RR

The world saw Tushar Deshpande showing his nerves of steel in the final as Rajasthan Royals pacer successfully defended 11 runs off the final over against Gujarat Titans to hand his side their second straight win in Match 9 of IPL 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. While Deshpande was brilliant, former RR cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has lauded skipper Riyan Parag for trusting the pacer.

Ashwin has said that he fails to process how the hosts lost the encounter despite being in a commanding position in the first half of the run chase. The former cricketer also expected Riyan to hand the last over to Nandre Burger, who looked in good rhythm, but later praised the Assam-born captain for the risk he took by opting for Deshpande.

“I don’t understand how GT lost this game. They were winning, and then they made a comeback, and they still lost. It is not easy to execute five yorkers with only 11 to defend in the final over, especially after you bowled a wide off the first ball. Riyan Parag did not give the final over to Nandre Burger. All of us were confident that Nandre Burger would bowl the final overThe trust Riyan Parag had in Tushar Deshpande was a big risk. If Tushar had not delivered like this, it would have been a very difficult question to answer for Riyan Parag,” Ashwin said in a video on his YouTube channel.

Ashwin praises Dhruv Jurel’s composed knock

As RR batted first in the contest, they had a brilliant start, with openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi setting the perfect platform for a huge score. However, things tumbled later, with wickets falling in quick succession. But Dhruv Jurel opened his arms wide and smashed 42-ball 75 to take the team total to 210-6 in 20 overs. Ashwin believes that Jurel’s knock made the difference in the match. 

Dhruv Jurel is a fixed deposit, just like KL Rahul. He plays fast bowlers well and plays spin really well. If he gets a long run at No. 3, he will be in that Orange Cap leaderboard. This knock will do Dhruv Jurel’s confidence a world of good,” he added.

After a couple of back-to-back wins, RR will now be up against the Mumbai Indians at the ACA Barsapara Stadium, Guwahati, for Match 13 of the marquee T20 tournament on Tuesday, April 07. Riyan & Co. will want to make it a hat-trick of wins in IPL 2026 by beating the five-time champions in their upcoming home fixture.