Rajasthan’s innings began on a shaky note as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal fell early, leaving the team at 12 for 2. Parag, walking in at that stage, initially showed signs of nerves, especially against Mitchell Starc, who was making his first appearance of the season.
The turning point came in the sixth over when Parag took on Kyle Jamieson, striking three boundaries in a sequence of 6, 4, 6. The shots, including a powerful pull and an inventive slice over slips, helped Rajasthan recover to 56 for 2 at the end of the powerplay.
From there, Parag’s confidence grew. He reached his fifty in 32 balls and built a vital 102-run partnership with Dhruv Jurel, who contributed a steady 42. His strokeplay stood out, particularly a forehand-like six over covers off T Natarajan.
Even after Jurel’s dismissal, Parag continued to anchor the innings, adding runs alongside Ravindra Jadeja. Though both eventually fell, the platform was well set.
Donovan Ferreira’s explosive 47 off just 14 balls provided the finishing push, ensuring Rajasthan crossed the 220 mark and carried strong momentum into the second innings.
