One bad game can sometimes show you more than four wins combined. That’s exactly what happened with Rajasthan Royals (RR) against Sunrisers Hyderabad. They were reduced to 9 for 5 in three overs and the game was done before it even began. But beyond that collapse, something else stood out. The middle order didn’t inspire much confidence, especially without Shimron Hetmyer. Heading into Eden Gardens against KKR, Riyan Parag might just go back to what worked for his team earlier.
Hetmyer’s return feels almost certain now
Resting Hetmyer against SRH made sense on paper. Give him a breather, and try out Lhuan-dre Pretorius to see what you have. But it didn’t quite work.
Pretorius is talented, no doubt. But at No. 4 in a side like RR, you need a bit more certainty. Especially when your top order plays the way RR’s does. You’re either 80/0 or suddenly under pressure. There’s no in-between. That’s where Hetmyer fits perfectly. He likes batting at Eden Gardens, a venue that hosted a number of games for the West Indies at the T20 World Cup 2026.
| Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 121 | 30.25 | 161.33 | 1 | 64 |
Meanwhile, nothing really changes at the top. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been ridiculous this season. 200 runs already for the 15-year-old at a strike rate over 260. That’s not normal, even by T20 standards. Meanwhile, Jaiswal has 202 runs at 40.4 and 166.95.
Sunil Narine in the powerplay could be a different challenge. He hasn’t been flashy this season but still has an economy under 7. And historically, he’s kept both Hetmyer and Jadeja quiet. If KKR are to make a game out of this, it probably starts with Narine against Suryavanshi.
Predicted RR playing XI vs KKR
| Position | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Vaibhav Suryavanshi | Opener |
| 2. | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Opener |
| 3. | Dhruv Jurel (WK) | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
| 4. | Riyan Parag (C) | All-rounder |
| 5. | Shimron Hetmyer ✈️ | Batter |
| 6 | Donovan Ferreira ✈️ | Batter |
| 7 | Ravindra Jadeja | All-rounder |
| 8 | Ravi Bishnoi | Spinner |
| 9 | Jofra Archer ✈️ | Fast-bowler |
| 10 | Nandre Burger ✈️ | Fast-bowler |
| 11 | Sandeep Sharma | Fast-bowler |
| 12 | Tushar Deshpande/Yudhvir Charak | Fast-bowler |
Parag and Jadeja under the scanner
the lastRiyan Parag, the RR captain, hasn’t quite got going. 49 runs in five games isn’t what RR would have expected from their captain, who played so well in the last two years. The interesting bit, though, is his record at Eden Gardens.
| Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 180 | 45.0 | 193.54 | 1 |
So this might actually be the game where he turns it around. Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja is the bigger question. He was brought in to provide balance but hasn’t quite done that yet. Just seven overs in five games, and a strike rate under 120 with the bat. RR are still backing him because of the overall structure, but if this continues, they might have to rethink that slot. Meanwhile, Tushar Deshpande has done wonderfully well. However, he was previously rested for two games, where RR played Brijesh Sharma. However, if RR want to rotate, Yudhvir Charak could be an exciting option. He is a tall pacer, who can extract bounce off the Eden Gardens deck.
RR full squad for IPL 2026
Dhruv Jurel (wk), Donovan Ferreira (traded in)✈️, Jofra Archer✈️, Kwena Maphaka✈️, Lhuan-dre Pretorius✈️, Nandre Burger✈️, Ravindra Jadeja (traded in), Riyan Parag, Sam Curran (traded in)✈️, Sandeep Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer✈️, Shubham Dubey, Tushar Deshpande, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Sushant Mishra, Yash Raj Punja, Vignesh Puthur, Ravi Singh, Aman Rao, Brijesh Sharma, Adam Milne,✈️Kuldeep Sen
Cricket
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