IPL 2023: It was a surprise – Shaun Pollock on RR sending Riyan Parag to bat ahead of Dhruv Jurel

Former South African skipper Shaun Pollock was surprised by Rajasthan Royals’ team management decision to send Riyan Parag ahead of in-form Dhruv Jurel. Parag trudged to 12-ball 15 in the run-chase of 155 against Lucknow Super Kings and could not get his team home at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, Jaipur.

The right-hander from Assam has failed to deliver for RR in the ongoing season as he had returned with scores of seven, 20, five, and seven before facing LSG.

On the other hand, Dhruv Jurel has done a good job for RR. In fact, Jurel almost cleared the boundary rope on the first ball he faced but Deepak Hooda took a good catch. In five matches of the season, Jurel has scored 62 runs at an average of 20.67 and with an impressive strike rate of 177.14.

Speaking to Cricbuzz following the match, Pollock said: “For me, it’s a no-brainer that you’ve got to send him before Riyan Parag. We looked at the way Jurel struck in the last game. I understand that you sometimes want to get your players back into form and maybe get them going.

“But at that stage of the game, it was the result that was counting and you’ve got to go with someone who has looked like he’s striking it okay. It was a surprise when Parag came in at that point.”

Meanwhile, former England captain Michael Vaughan felt sometimes a team can overcomplicate things in T20 cricket. Vaughan believes the in-form players like Ravichandran Ashwin and Dhruv Jurel should have batted ahead.

“You’ve got Dhruv Jurel and Ravichandran Ashwin, who have been striking nicely. I think sometimes you can overcomplicate it in T20 cricket. When you have got players in form, get them out there.”

Rajasthan Royals will next take Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.