Riyan Parag, who once played the role of a finisher for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), has been promoted to bat at No. 3 this season. The decision comes after his stellar run at No. 4 in IPL 2024, where he became RR's leading run-scorer and played a crucial role in their playoff run. However, this season the decision has not yielded great results in the two matches he has played. Here's more. RR's head coach Rahul Dravid has hailed Parag as one of our best batters. We want to give him as many balls as we possibly can, Dravid explained the logic behind the promotion to No. 3 as per ESPNcricinfo. Dravid further stressed, 20 overs is a very short time and the more balls Parag bats for us, the better it is for us as a team. Dravid also emphasized the team's readiness to change their strategy according to performance and situation. He noted Parag's success at No. 4, saying it gives them an option. But he reiterated that sending him to No. 3 was a tactical move to give him more time to bat and use his destructive batting to score more runs for the team. Apart from his batting duties, Parag is also filling in as the stand-in captain for regular skipper Sanju Samson, who is recovering from a finger injury. However, the dual role has proved difficult as RR have lost their first two games. Dravid backed the 23-year-old player, with whom he first worked when Parag was only 16 years old in 2017 as head coach of India's Under-19s. Dravid lauded Parag's ability to adapt and remain calm under pressure as captain. He praised Parag's decision-making ability and courage, especially his decision to bowl in the powerplay against Kolkata Knight Riders. Even in the game against KKR [Kolkata Knight Riders], his brave decision to bring himself on, he stated. Dravid was confident of Parag's ability, saying he is comfortable and more than capable of batting at any position. This endorsement highlights the faith RR management has in their player. Despite some concerns over RR's batting strategy, which includes picking only six genuine batters even while batting first, Dravid brushed aside the worries. He explained that with the Impact Player rule, teams now have more flexibility in their bowling and batting options. This way, they can extend their batting lineup and keep a balance between both departments without heavily relying on an all-rounder. Parag had a strike rate of 149.22, alongside four fifties, in IPL 2024. In IPL 2025, Parag owns 29 runs in two matches. In the first match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he managed four runs, while he scored 25 in the match against KKR. Overall, Parag owns 1,202 runs at an average of 24.04 (72 matches). His strike rate reads 135.82, while he also has six fifties. In T20 cricket, the Indian all-rounder has over 2,700 runs and 40-plus wickets.