CHENNAI: Rajasthan Royals' spin coach Sairaj Bahutule said Riyan Parag's run out could have been avoided during their chase against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday. The team failed to make 162 and was restricted to 148/8.
Parag was run out in the 14th over following a problem in communication between him and Robin Uthappa and this derailed the Rajasthan chase.
"I think partnerships were important, after the start we got from Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes. We did not need to lose those many wickets. Most important was the wicket of Stokes. The run-out was very crucial, we could probably have avoided that. Had Sanju Samson stayed at the wicket, we could have taken the game a bit deeper and got those runs," said Bahutule.
"It is disappointing, but there are six more games to go. I am sure the boys are hurt. We should look to win four-five of the remaining games and play some good cricket. Pitches have definitely gone slower. I do not think toss matters this much, it is just about executing the skills. We would have loved to bat first as well. We need to play well in all three departments. We were almost there but batting could have been better," added the former leg-spinner.
Steve Smith once again failed with the bat. "Smith is a fantastic captain, a great leader. He had a good start in the tournament and he is a guy who works on his game. I am sure he will make the coming games count and score some runs," said Bahutule.
Delhi Capitals had posted 161/7, with Shikhar Dhawan (57) and Shreyas Iyer (53) scoring half-centuries. For Rajasthan Royals, Jofra Archer took 3/19 in four overs.
"Jofra has been a great asset for us. He picks up wickets with the new ball and is a brilliant death bowler. He makes sure that those four overs are executed in the highest fashion," Bahutule said.
Rajasthan Royals are sixth on the points table with six points from eight matches. They face Royal Challengers Bangalore on October 17.