Riyan Parag, who hit a purple patch during IPL 2024, had met MS Dhoni when he was just 3. A picture of the two surfaced on social media in which Dhoni was seen alongside child Riyan. Coincidentally it was MS Dhoni who had stumped Riyan’s cricketer father Parag Das in one of the domestic games, more than 2 decades ago.
During the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) game against Rajasthan Royals in the 2019 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), 17-year-old Riyan Parag – who was making his IPL debut – was caught behind by MS Dhoni after he had scored 16 runs at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. CSK went on to win that match by four wickets.
In that match, it was pointed out that Dhoni had first met Riyan Parag when he was just three. A picture of the two had surfaced on social media in which the wicketkeeper-batsman is seen alongside child Riyan Parag.
Now, it has come out that coincidentally it was MS Dhoni who had stumped Riyan’s cricketer father Parag Das in one of the domestic games, roughly 19 years ago.
Dhoni, who had made his first-class debut in the 1999-2000 season of the Ranji Trophy for Bihar – during a game against Assam in an East Zone League – had stumped Parag in the second innings after a 24-ball 30. Bihar went on to win by 191 runs.
Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle took to Twitter to come out with this interesting statistic. Bhogle, while pointing this out, wrote “Many years ago, in the 99-00 season of the Ranji Trophy (see the 2nd innings of Assam in this scorecard) http://www.bcci.tv/ranji-trophy-1999-00/match/60 … an Assam opener, called Parag Das was stumped by a young keeper called MS Dhoni. Parag Das is Riyan Parag‘s father! And MSD is the constant!”
Some user had tweeted this stat tagging Bhogle.
On April 25, Riyan Parag played a superb knock of a 31-ball 47 to help Royals achieve a stunning victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their IPL fixture.
In his column in the Times of India, Bhogle wrote about Riyan’s innings against KKR. “What a player he is and what a player he can become! I said ‘can’ rather than ‘will’ because cricketing ability is but one indicator of success. But on that count he has announced himself. You look at a player’s shot-making, yes, but just as important, you look at his composure, about his approach to a situation and he was mighty impressive on that count. He is but a child but he doesn’t play like one,” Bhogle wrote, heaping praise on the Assam lad.
Riyan Parag, who hit five fours and two sixes, added 44 crucial runs with Archer — who remained not out on 27 off just 12 balls with the help of two fours and two sixes — for the seventh wicket from 3.3 overs to turn the match on its head after the Royals were reduced to 98 for 5 in the 13th over.
“Now the expectations will grow, people will talk to him differently, cameras will pop up, nice things will become affordable and those can be deadly enemies. When you are really young and dreaming of success, you think your ability to hit a ball will determine your success. It does. But it is what you do after you can hit a ball well that is often as critical. It is an area Indian cricket doesn’t have enough coaches in. I wish him well. I hope he doesn’t stop bowling because the box-office in cricket tends to bow to the batsmen,” Bhogle concluded.
Cricketer Riyan Parag
Riyan Parag, born on November 10, 2001, made his T20 debut for Assam in the 2016–17 Inter State Twenty-20 Tournament on January 29, 2017. In October 2017, he was named in India’s squad for the 2017 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup. He made his first-class debut for Assam in the 2017–18 Ranji Trophy on 17 November 2017.
In December 2017, he was named in India’s squad for the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
His father, Parag Das, is a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace. Parag Das made his first-class debut for Assam in the 1993/94 Ranji Trophy.
