Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], May 20 : Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Riyan Parag urged fans and commentators to "love cricket and talk about cricket" while stressing that outside noise and social media criticism should not affect players, following RR's commanding seven-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL 2026 clash at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Tuesday.
RR's full-time captain Parag addressed the media after RR chased a daunting 221-run target in style, powered by a sensational knock from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (93 off 38 balls) and a fluent half-century from Dhruv Jurel (53 not out off 38 balls).
Speaking about dealing with criticism and social media chatter, Parag said players must learn to separate outside opinions from their performance on the field.
"I've understood one thing that no matter what I do, people will talk. I've also understood that whatever is happening, it shouldn't affect my game, my form, or my mindset. It's outside work. It should be left outside," Parag said in the post-match press conference. "And as far as the way I think about my game, the way I believe in my game, I feel it shouldn't affect that."
The RR skipper also called for greater understanding towards players, highlighting the hard work teams put in behind the scenes before every game.
"As far as IPL is concerned, a lot of things are happening outside this year. I feel the whole country loves cricket. We, as players, try to give our best. We perform for the crowd. Players are working hard," he said.
"It's very easy, if a team gets all out at 75-80, to say that they don't want to play. They don't know how to play. Before that game, we prepare for 3-4 days so that we can do 220-250. But sometimes it doesn't happen. We are humans too. We make mistakes too," Parag added.
Parag also pointed towards the role of commentary and public narratives in shaping perceptions around teams and players.
"So I feel, whatever is happening outside, especially the voice of the commentators, is reaching out to the people. I request to love cricket and talk about cricket. Don't talk about anything else," he added.
Reflecting on RR's performance and their push for the playoffs, Parag praised the team's character but also admitted that inconsistency earlier in the season had hurt their qualification chances.
"I am such a captain that when someone does well, I don't exaggerate. Because I feel we are getting very good contracts. We are getting very good facilities. Very good equipment. Very good environment. We are getting all this to perform," he said. "When the team does well, I always think about how we can do better. When we are not doing well, we stay positive."
Parag believed RR had given themselves a strong chance to stay alive in the playoff race with the win.
"If we had won the last two games, we would have qualified by now. So I feel the comeback we did, it shows the character of the boys. How we stepped up and defeated such a team," he said. "But as far as that is concerned, there is another equation. If we can do this now, why can't we do this earlier?"
Parag signed off by shifting focus to Rajasthan's next challenge against Mumbai, insisting the team's immediate target was to secure another crucial win.
"This game is done. It felt very good after winning. Moving forward, we will do good preparation for Mumbai. Qualification, I don't know how many points we will get. I want to go to Mumbai, and I want two points in Mumbai. We will try our best for that," he concluded.
Coming to the match, LSG posted a formidable 220/5 after being put in to bat, courtesy of a blistering opening partnership between Josh Inglis and Mitchell Marsh. Inglis smashed 60 off 30 balls while Marsh narrowly missed out on a century with a 57-ball 96.
Rishabh Pant's late cameo helped LSG cross the 200-run mark, though both Pant and Marsh were run out in the final over. Yash Raj Punja was the pick of the RR bowlers with 2/35.
In reply, young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi lit up Jaipur with a breathtaking 93 off just 38 deliveries, hammering 10 sixes and seven fours. Dhruv Jurel added a rapid 53 as Rajasthan Royals sealed a convincing seven-wicket victory to climb to fourth spot on the IPL 2026 points table with 14 points.