Assam all-rounder Riyan Parag is having his breakthrough IPL season as he’s started the IPL 2024 on a resounding note with the bat for Rajasthan Royals.
After match number 14 in the season, Riyan Parag bagged the Orange Cap. He has scored 181 runs with two half-centuries, in which he was not out both times, and he’s scored his runs at a strike rate of 160.
After his great domestic form, Rajasthan Royals promoted him to number 4. And after years of underperformance, though it should be remembered that he is only 22 years old, Parag is paying back rich dividends for the Royals.
Multiple factors suggest that Riyan Parag should be fast-tracked into Team India’s T20 World Cup squad.
3 reasons why Riyan Parag should be picked for India’s T20 World Cup squad:
Form
Few Indian batters could boast of such T20 form that Parag has right now. He top-scored in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament with 510 runs at an average of 85 and strike rate of 182.
And now in the IPL, he’s recorded scores of 43, 84*, and 54* against three quality bowling attacks. All three times, he’s carried the batting line-up with different partners. His knocks are more valued considering Jos Buttler failed in all three innings, and Samson and Jaiswal failed twice each.
Parag as a spinning all-rounder is crucial, more so when Jadeja is being ordinary with the bat in T20 cricket
While in the IPL, his batting pyrotechnics have hogged the limelight, Parag was impressive with the ball in domestic cricket. He picked 11 wickets in SMAT – the second most for his team.
Since Ravindra Jadeja is ordinary with the bat and doesn’t offer any confidence as a finisher in T20 cricket, India must ponder strongly over including Parag in the team in the T20 World Cup.
Parag has the exuberance youth
Riyan Parag brings with himself is a lot of youthful exuberance, non-chalance, and has good temperament to play in high-pressure situations. What stands him out from some other Indian middle-order batters is that Parag doesn’t play conservative or risk-averse cricket. If he sees the ball is there to be hit, he will latch on to it. Also, India have often been left behind wanting for youngsters to play an attacking brand of cricket. Someone like Parag is an embodiment of all this.
