Ryan Prague Admitted Rajasthan Royals Despite sealing the final IPL 2026 playoff spot with a crucial 30-run win, there are still many areas for improvement. Mumbai Indians At the Wankhede Stadium RR crossed the 200-run mark thanks to an explosive late knock. Jofra Archer And Ravindra Jadeja Before Archer’s brilliant spell with the ball helped Mumbai Indians out of the tournament. Speaking after the win, Prag explained the strategy behind promoting Archer to No.7 and sending Jadeja to No.9 during RR’s late batting surge. “Obviously it’s good when things go according to plan. I know we’ve won the game, we’ve qualified, but there are a lot of areas we can improve on,” Parag said. “I wanted the set batsmen to play a bit longer (a move to keep Jofra at 7, Jadoo at 9). We need runs. It’s a wicket where you can’t have two batsmen in the middle and get runs on one ball. A boy wanted to take initiative, take risks. And the other guy can stay a little longer. The RR skipper reserved special praise for Jadeja, whose unbeaten 19 off 11 balls proved crucial in the final overs. “And Jadeja is as reliable as ever. I knew he would get us at least 20 out of 10 which he did,” he added. Parag also opened up about his aggressive leadership style and insisted that decisions were based more on instinct than statistical matchups. “Actually took a lot of brave calls this season. That’s how I like to lead. That’s how I lead Assam. You have to take your chances, it’s not a gamble. Of course you think about it a lot.” One of these calls involves using an archer directly against. Hardik Pandya During Mumbai’s chase, a move that proved decisive when the England pacer dismissed the MI skipper in the 16th over. “I thought, Hardik – there’s only one man who can pull him out and that’s Jofra. He paid a good price.” When asked if his decisions are driven by data or instinct, Parag answered simply: “Instinct always.” The RR skipper also praised in-cap bowlers Brijesh Sharma and Yash Raj Panja for stepping up in a pressure game, although he joked about avoiding too much praise in general. “It’s tough but all credit goes to them. I usually don’t praise them so they don’t get all puffed up and stuff. But after tonight I think they deserve it. “Brijesh – the way he’s come back after winning a few games here and there, where he’s gone for a few runs in the last few overs. How he bowled today and how he’s bowling.” “And Panja, from a net bowler to his journey now, as a lead spinner. Remarkable work. I hope he does it for one more and then another couple of matches.” Parag also revealed that he is still not fully fit physically but credits mental toughness to help him carry on during the season. “I’m definitely not fit. It was all mental toughness.” He also provided an update on Archer and Jadeja ahead of the playoffs. “Jofra is fine, he’s as strong as a rock. Brother Jado has a few nudges here and there.” Despite earning the qualification, Parag admits that RR made his life difficult by leaving too late. “We should have qualified earlier. Left it a bit late. Hopefully we’ll learn from all our games.”
