"Bit Like Mixed <i>Pakodas</i>": Sunil Gavaskar's Unique Analysis Of Riyan Parag's Bowling

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar made a unique assessment of the bowling of Rajasthan Royals’ stand-in captain Riyan Parag. It happened after Parag claimed the wicket of Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane during the IPL 2025 match between the sides on Sunday. On the fourth ball of the 13th over, Parag bowled with a round-arm release, undercutting the off spin. As a result the ball did not bounce much and slid after pitching. Rahane tried to play a sweep shot and got a top edge on it which was caught by RR wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel.

After the wicket, Gavaskar, who was on-air, said to his fellow commentators Alan Wilkins and Eoin Morgan, “Have you ever had a plate of pakodas, mixed pakodas?”

Wilkins replied, “Well, go on, yes I have.”

Gavaskar continued, “So it’s a bit like the mixed pakodas, potato pakoda, then capsicum pakoda, onion pakoda, bit of everything, mixed pakoda, that’s the kind of bowling that he has.”

Wilkins once again replied, “Oh gosh, I’ve heard some descriptions of a bowler, what do you call it? Love it, Sunny. Beautiful.”

Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag feels that he miscalculated the target and failed to finish the match as Kolkata Knight Riders clinched a one-run win in a thrilling encounter at Eden Gardens on Sunday.

Parag played a scintillating knock of 95 runs in 45 balls laced with eight sixes and six fours but failed to finish the game for his side as they fell one run short while chasing 22 in the last over.

Chasing 207, Rajasthan were on target with 52 required off 30 balls with Parag and Shubham Dubey at the crease. But Parag’s dismissal in the 18th over shifted the tide in KKR’s favour. However, Dubey tried to snatch victory from KKR’s jaws but fell one run short of the target despite scoring two sixes and a four.

“I was just too sad about myself getting out. Probably a miscalculation from my side, I should have finished it. I think we could have found better options in the last six overs. I think they were 120 or 130 and our spinners did really well and maybe we could have cut down their runs, but the game was in our hands. We should have finished this,” Parag said in the post-match presentation.

Reflecting on their bowling performance in the match, Parag admitted he could have used his resources better against Andre Russell who scored 25-ball 57 in the fag end of the innings,

“I didn’t want to bowl bowlers back-to-back, but now it feels like maybe we could have done something else. We’ve got to give (Russell) credit because he came in, took his time. The way he accelerated was amazing to watch. It’s a ground where sixes are hit, so I knew I had my boundaries if I stayed. Wicket was gripping a little and I had to pick my battles, but I felt I could have finished it. You’ve got to be clinical, you’ve got to be perfect, and we weren’t so the consequences are here,” he said.

(With IANS inputs)