Being an Indian Premier League (IPL) captain is a tough job, and Riyan Parag has done a terrific job in his first year as Rajasthan Royals skipper to cope with the pressure, fast bowler Sandeep Sharma said on Monday ahead of a clash against Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor a first-time captain, it\u2019s a tough role, and he\u2019s doing a very good job,\u201d Sandeep said.<\/p>\n
The experienced fast bowler also noted that Parag doesn\u2019t have the luxury of leaning on senior pros like Sanju Samson did with Jos Buttler and Ravichandran Ashwin when they were at Rajasthan Royals.<\/p>\n
\u201cRiyan doesn\u2019t have that same level of experience around him, but that can actually help him grow faster. He\u2019ll learn a lot this season and come back as a much-improved captain in the future,\u201d Sandeep said.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s IPL has seen massive scores, often pushing bowlers out of the game, but Sandeep remains optimistic. \u201cHitting ability has improved massively over the last four or five years, especially with younger players coming in with a different range. I think the next lot of bowlers will also bring something new, and experienced bowlers will have to keep evolving. Even today, if you execute your plans well \u2013 whether it\u2019s yorkers, slower balls or targeting a batter\u2019s weakness \u2013 you can succeed,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Room for improvement<\/h4>\n
According to Punjab\u2019s assistant coach Brad Haddin, the bowler\u2019s role is to find ways to slow the scoring even as modern batters continue to push the limits.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom a coach\u2019s point of view, you\u2019re constantly trying to find ways to slow the game down \u2013 whether that\u2019s through wickets or forcing batters into areas you want them to hit. Sometimes, you execute a perfect ball, and it still ends up in the stands. That\u2019s just the power of the modern-day batter,\u201d Haddin said.<\/p>\n
At the halfway mark, Punjab is the only unbeaten team, with six wins and one no result. Asked how the side is avoiding complacency, Haddin said the focus remains on improvement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re lucky with this group. You watch them train: they all turn up, they know their roles, and they\u2019re always trying to get better. That\u2019s what we\u2019ve enjoyed most as coaches \u2013 their appetite to improve,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe job\u2019s not done. We\u2019re halfway through the tournament, and it\u2019s about playing your best cricket at the back end. There\u2019s still a lot of room for improvement with bat, ball, and in the field. That\u2019s what we\u2019re most pleased with \u2013 yes, we\u2019re playing good cricket, but there are still areas we can get better in,\u201d Haddin added.<\/p>\n
The Australian also confirmed that fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, who joined the Punjab Kings squad late, will be available for selection against the Royals.<\/p>\n
Published on Apr 27, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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