Assam cricketer Riyan Parag, who has been answering critics and trolls alike through his recent performances at the Indian Premier League (IPL) playing for Rajasthan Royals, said that he is currently focusing on the IPL and not thinking about the T20 World Cup.
Facing relentless troll since last few years, mostly because of his non-performance on the field and attitude off it, Riyan Parag’s cricketing journey has been under scrutiny.
Speaking about the trolls, Riyan Parag said: “Life on the outside of cricket really affects you. And that’s one big major part which has played in my career is how I deal with it.”
With 284 runs in 6 innings, at a strike rate of 155 and average of 71, Riyan Parag is currently at the second position after Virat Kohli who amassed 361 runs in 7 innings playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Riyan has never had an average of more than 17 in his previous seasons and his best ever return with the bat was in his maiden year, when he aggregated 160 from seven outings at 32.
“It didn’t really start out well, I took a lot of things to heart, that were being said about me, etc., whatever it was. I just had to figure out what mattered to me, whose opinions mattered to me, and I figured that out eventually. And, that has helped,” said Riyan, who during last year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament after scoring a half-century against Bengal, had made a celebratory gesture that he is cut above everyone.
He faced a lot of criticism, at times rightly so, for his on-field antics. More so, because performances weren’t coming through.
But things changed in the last domestic season as he worked on his game, fitness and attitude, which showed in his approach in every domestic tournament.
Now that Riyan Parag’s name is doing rounds as a possible contender for a place in the national team for the T20 World Cup in US and West Indies, he said that he is not thinking that far.
“I’m not really thinking about it (World Cup) to be very honest. If you told me last year I’d be in this position, I would not believe you,” Riyan said.
“So, I’m just really glad to be doing what I am doing, and I just want to continue that. I want to take it one game at a time, and focus on how I can win more matches for the team, because that’s more important,” he added.
Before this IPL, Riyan Parag averaged 13 in 2022 aggregating just 78 runs from seven matches but being promoted to No 4 by RR coach Kumar Sangakkara has changed the course of his career.
“Cricketing-wise, I think playing at No 4 is, again, something which I’m used to doing in domestic cricket in different situations, more common situations, actually. But yeah, it’s been a mix of both, emotionally and skill-wise,” he said.
“I feel I’ve been contributing a lot to the team and that’s what I’ve been trying to do for the last few years, it hasn’t really clicked. This time it has and I just want to continue that,” he added.
