Parag race against time as RR bid to regain lost ground vs DC

Injury: Missed RR’s last game vs GT with a hamstring niggle. Update: Back in nets, batting comfortably and expected to be fully fit to lead vs DC Sangakkara quote: “We were expecting him to be fully fit and ready. I think Riyan has three roles. One is captain, leader, and batter. Every single time, he's got to separate the three. Form: Struggled this season – 206 runs in 10 matches, avg 22.89, SR 143.06. But his only good knock came vs DC in Jaipur: 90 off 50 balls. The upside of having so much time off is a chance to regroup. Riyan Parag is back batting in the nets after a hamstring niggle ruled him out of RR's last game. He nearly doubled his season tally, making 90 off 50 against DC on May 1 and should be looking forward to facing them again in Delhi's excellent batting conditions. DC's hopes of making the playoffs appear very slim after going through a strange sort of season - scoring their highest IPL score ever only to lose the game, possessing a bowling attack with great variety but often coming undone when it mattered most. Middle-order issues, the initial injury and unavailability of Mitchell Starc and the poor form of Kuldeep Yadav have all combined to overshadow the gains they've made. If Axar Patel's men lose on Sunday, they will be out of the playoffs race. Form: Lost 3 of last 4 games, won only 1. Hammered by 77 runs vs GT last game. Standings: Mid-table, need wins to stay in playoff hunt. Batting issues:Yashasvi Jaiswal: 132 runs in last 7 innings, avg 18.9Dhruv Jurel: Avg under 19.7 in last 7, struggles vs wrist spin. Middle order headache: Parag avg 23, Hetmyer avg 13, SR 113. Bright spot: Donovan Ferreira 98 runs, SR 265 in overs 17-20. Bowling issues*:Conceded 134 extras this season, most by any teamJofra Archer: 2 wickets at 12 RPO in last 3 games. Domestic pace attack expensive: Tushar Deshpande 12.1 RPO, Sandeep 10.9 RPO. May bring back Nandre Burger, Ravi Bishnoi on tacky Kotla track. Yashasvi Jaiswal has tapered off as the tournament has gone on. In his first four innings, he made 183 runs at an average of 91.50. In his last seven innings, he's made 132 runs at an average of 18.90. Jaiswal and Starc have history from the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy and there seems to be no love lost. When they faced each other in the reverse fixture earlier this month, Jaiswal hit a first-ball six but Starc got rid of him before the over was out. For RR: Win = regain momentum, stay in playoff hunt. Loss = 4 losses in 5, season slipping away. For DC: Win = keep mathematical hopes alive. Loss = eliminated. Parag factor: Needs to repeat his 90 vs DC and separate captaincy from batting. Bottom line: Fit-again captain Riyan Parag returns for RR as they try to fix their slide and death bowling woes. DC are in must-win territory at home where they’ve struggled. Parag’s form and leadership vs DC’s spin duo of Kuldeep-Axar could decide it. Batters should enjoy the pitch set to be used for the game. In four of the last five matches played on it, the first innings total has exceeded 180. The one time it didn't was when DC got bowled out for 75 against RCB last month. Also, three of the last four games on this surface have been won by the side batting first. An extremely hot day is on the cards with temperatures hitting a high of 42°C.