IPL 2026 RR vs MI | Even though he is young, Parag’s cricketing mind is better than that: Lahiri

Rajasthan Royals performance coach Siddhartha Lahiri heaped praise on captain Riyan Parag for the side’s winning start to IPL 2026.

Royals outclassed Chennai Super Kings in their tournament opener here before pipping Gujarat Titans away from home as Parag began his stint as permanent captain on a high.

“The credit goes to the captain. Even though he is young, his cricketing mind is better than that. It is because he is calm and composed under pressure. Even last year, when he wasn’t the [full-time] captain, he never buckled under pressure,” said Lahiri on Monday, on the eve of Royals’ clash against Mumbai Indians.

Lahiri pinpointed the execution of the final over in Royals’ win against Titans, when Tushar Deshpande defended 10 runs, as an example of Parag’s tactical acumen.

“Giving the ball to Tushar was a very big move. Before the first ball [of the final over], third-man was pushed back. And if you see how Rashid Khan played that ball, it would have been a four if third-man was up.”

Despite the strong start to the IPL campaign, Lahiri believes it is important for the Royals to stay grounded and stick to their plans.

“I think it’s still very early days for us. We have just played two games, and we have done well. It’s a long season. So we can’t get excited. Our biggest challenge would be to stay level and just keep following the simple processes that we have been doing,” added Lahiri.