Sun Mar 30 15:40:00 UTC 2025: ## Rajasthan Royals Captain Parag Faces Criticism After Second Straight IPL Loss
**Guwahati:** Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag is facing criticism after the team suffered its second consecutive defeat in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Following a 44-run loss to Hyderabad in their opening match (despite scoring 242 runs), Rajasthan lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by eight wickets in Guwahati on Wednesday.
Rajasthan, batting first, managed only 151 runs in their 20 overs, while Kolkata reached the target with 15 balls to spare, scoring 153 for 2. This marks the first time Rajasthan has lost their first two matches of a season.
Sanju Samson, the regular wicketkeeper-batsman, was unavailable due to a finger injury, playing only as an impact player. This led to Riyan Parag captaining the team for the first three matches. The strategic decision to bring in Shubham Dubey as an impact player after Rajasthan slumped to 82/5 proved ineffective, as Dubey scored only nine runs before being dismissed. This left Rajasthan short of a specialist bowler, forcing Parag to bowl four overs.
Parag, the first Indian player from Assam and the first IPL captain from the state, is now under scrutiny following the team’s poor start to the season.
First Piper 