Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Riyan Parag described his team's total as defendable in their IPL Qualifier 2 defeat to Gujarat Titans (GT) on May 29. Speaking after the match at Mullanpur, Parag said the pitch improved for batting in the second innings following the use of a heavy roller, while initially offering grip and assistance to slower bowlers.

He indicated that a total around 230 was par, with 240 being more challenging.

Parag acknowledged that RR needed to take early wickets through their openers but were unable to do so, which made the match difficult for his side. His comments followed a century from GT skipper Shubman Gill and another substantial partnership with Sai Sudharsan, which secured victory for Gujarat Titans.

After RR chose to bat first, a strong innings from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who scored 96 from 47 balls including eight fours and seven sixes, and a late cameo of 38 not out off 11 balls by Donovan Ferreira, propelled RR to 214 for 6 in 20 overs. Gujarat Titans successfully chased 215 runs, with Gill scoring 104 from 53 balls including 15 fours and three sixes. He shared a 167-run partnership with Sudharsan, who contributed 58 from 32 balls with eight fours and a six, leading to a three-wicket win.

Parag said: “It was a par score; it was defendable. I felt that after the heavy roller, it got better in the second innings. In the first innings, the bowlers got some grip, and the slower ones did well. I thought 230 would have been a par score. A score around 240 would have been challenging, but we needed the openers early. It didn’t happen, which became tough for us.”

Reflecting on RR's campaign overall, Parag noted the positives despite the team’s inexperience. He said many did not expect the team to qualify but praised the young players for stepping up and delivering strong performances. “To sum it up in one sentence, there were many positives. We weren’t supposed to qualify, given that many players were young and inexperienced, but many youngsters performed well and can only improve from here,” he added.

Parag also commended Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for his intelligent and composed batting approach, highlighting that the batsman does more than just power-hitting. Observing Sooryavanshi's careful calculation of his innings and shot selection, Parag expressed confidence in his future and his potential to help RR win a second IPL title. He said: “I can’t put it into words, there’s one way where you slog and score many runs. But he doesn’t slog, you could see his innings today – he calculates and plays his shots. I can’t say how, but hopefully he will go on to do well in his career, do well for the Rajasthan Royals and win us a second title.”