When the team sheet for the India vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I came out, everyone was scratching their heads, wondering why Riyan Parag was being played. Despite having an abundance of talent, the all-rounder from Assam had done nothing to warrant a place over Shivam Dube and Washington. But there he was, playing ahead of them both.
Parag better than Washington & Dube?
So why was he playing? Well, it seems like captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir had a plan in place. With the next T20 World Cup in 2026, there is plenty of time to figure out India’s side for the mega-event. The focus right now is on building a team rather than finding the perfect XI.
With that in mind, Suryakumar and Gambhir found it wise to bring Parag into the mix. They know what Dube and Washington have to offer but want to see what untested Parag brings to the table. On the batting front, he can easily give competition to Dube and is miles ahead of Washington right now. In the IPL 2024 season, Parag’s record against spinners was worse than Dube’s, but against pacers, he fared much better than the tall southpaw.
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Riyan Parag gamble works
Much like Dube, he’s also a part-time bowler and doesn’t have great numbers. Well, that was before the India vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I. Parag failed to make a mark with the bat but ended up being the highest wicket-taker for Team India. He ended with a three-wicket haul, bowling just 8 balls to get these scalps and giving away just 5 runs.
Now that two of these wickets came at the end of the match, you can’t overlook that he also got Kamindu Mendis. His quick off-spin worked incredibly well, and with Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi present, he was never going to be asked to do the heavy lifting. Parag passed with flying numbers, and it won’t be a shock if he’s not only tried in the next two games of the India vs Sri Lanka T20I series.
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