RR batsman Riyan Parag has been playing in the IPL for the last six years, but in all these years hasn’t really managed to set the tournament on fire. In the 56 matches, he has only scored 693 runs, at an average of 18, and just three fifties spread across seasons. But then, if the RR vs DC match is anything to go by, it perhaps is the ‘coming of age’ moment for the 22-year-old.
Coming in to bat when his team was reeling at 36/3, Riyan Parag started rather slowly, scoring 15 from 19 balls. But from there on, he never looked back. In the 13th over, he slammed Kuldeep Yadav for a six, and then it was absolute carnage from the Assam all-rounder. In the next 26 balls, the man went on to score over 60 runs, to end with 84 from 45 balls, as RR ended with 185/5.
Riyan Justifies Outrageous Comments
Back in IPL 2022, he had said, “I don’t want to praise myself too much, but I think I can be the best finisher not just for Rajasthan Royals but for India in years to come. I have got the skill-set, I’ve got the all-rounder abilities and not just batting, fielding and bowling as well.
“Yes, I’ve got a lot to work on and I’ve got to be consistent. I’ve got to work a lot on a lot of areas but I firmly believe that I can do it for the Rajasthan Royals team and the country as well,” Parag had said on ‘Red Bull’s Greatness Starts Here’. While there might be a fair distance for Riyan to cover to reach those levels, this innings against DC with certainly give him the confidence to achieve that.
A solid IPL 2024 Could Mean India Selection
It’s not a flash in the pan success for the RR man. In the Ranji Trophy for Assam, in the four matches he scored 378 runs at an average of 75 including two tons. Not just that, he was the highest run-scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, accumulating 510 runs in 10 innings. The strike-rate was over 180 here.
So one can assume, if Riyan Parag can have an exceptional IPl season, he will certainly be in the reckoning for the Indian team. T20 World Cup, perhaps still could be out of his reach, but one doesn’t know, after all.
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