Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Riyan Parag expressed disappointment after his team's 4-wicket loss to Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2, but insisted that their total of 160 was defendable. Speaking at the post-match presentation, Parag said, "It was a defendable score. We had the bowlers to defend it, but they played better than us in the middle overs."
Match Summary
Batting first, RR posted 160/8 in their 20 overs, with half-centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal (59) and Sanju Samson (52). However, GT chased down the target with 4 wickets in hand, thanks to a brilliant 82 off 44 balls from Shubman Gill and a quickfire 40 from David Miller. The Titans reached 161/6 in 19.3 overs, booking their spot in the final against Chennai Super Kings.
Parag's Analysis
Parag, who took over captaincy mid-season, acknowledged that his team fell short in the death overs. "We lost momentum in the last 5 overs with the bat. Probably 170-175 would have been a par score. But credit to GT, they executed their plans well." He also praised his bowlers, especially Yuzvendra Chahal, who took 2/28, but felt that the lack of wickets in the middle overs cost them.
GT's Dominance
Gujarat Titans' skipper Hardik Pandya, who played a crucial cameo of 25* off 15 balls, lauded his team's composure. "We knew 160 was chaseable. Shubman set the platform, and the finishers did their job. It's a team effort." GT will now face CSK in the final on May 28 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
For RR, it was a season of highs and lows. After a strong start, they lost momentum in the second half but still managed to reach the playoffs. Parag, however, remained optimistic about the future. "We have a young core. This experience will help us come back stronger next season."
