Rajasthan Royals found themselves in the eye of a social media storm on Wednesday night after a string of puzzling decisions during the Super Over led to a dramatic defeat against Delhi Capitals. What looked like a comfortable chase for most of the innings ended in chaos and criticism as RR lost control at the very last moment.
With both teams locked at 188 after 20 overs, the match moved into the Super Over. Rajasthan, tasked with setting a target, surprised everyone with their choice of batters. While many expected Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Rana—both of whom had scored half-centuries—to walk out, the team instead sent out Riyan Parag alongside Shimron Hetmyer. The move instantly triggered backlash online.
“Nitish Rana scores a quick 50. Jaiswal scores a 50. Rajasthan Royals – ‘Of course, let’s instead send the guy who scored 8 off 11,’ Smart,” tweeted comedian Sorabh Pant, capturing the disbelief of many. Another fan chimed in with, “RR alpha mindset management: -Deny double at a crucial moment -Send Riyan Parag ahead of Yashasvi in super over.”
In the Super Over, Hetmyer managed to find the boundary off Mitchell Starc’s second ball and took a single on the third, giving Parag the strike. Parag too managed a boundary on the fourth delivery, which was called a no-ball. However, what followed was a moment of complete confusion.
On the legal fourth delivery, the ball clipped Parag’s pad and trickled to KL Rahul behind the stumps. In a baffling move, Hetmyer attempted a run that simply wasn’t there. Already on Parag’s end of the crease, Hetmyer left his partner with no choice but to sacrifice his wicket. Jaiswal came in next, only to be run out almost immediately, as Rajasthan ended their Super Over with just 11 runs on the board. Delhi chased it down comfortably in just four deliveries.
The criticism wasn’t reserved for the Super Over alone. Dhruv Jurel, who played during the final overs of the main innings, was also under fire for denying a single to Hetmyer during the penultimate over—an act seen as self-serving and ultimately costly.
“Dhruv Jurel wanted to be a hero but became a villain lol,” tweeted one fan, echoing the widespread sentiment of frustration.
The Rajasthan Royals, who had the game seemingly under control, now face questions not only about their tactical execution but also their on-field communication and composure under pressure.
