In one of the most unanticipated happenings in the IPL 2024, Rajasthan Royals’ Riyan Parag is now donning the Orange Cap after match number 14 of the season.
This has been made possible because RR gave a batting-order promotion to Parag to the number 4 spot after seeing his thunderous form in domestic cricket. With 510 runs at an average of 85 and strike rate of 182, Riyan Parag was the leading scorer in the last Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He was brilliant in the List-A domestic matches as well.
The 22-year-old Parag started the season with a score of 43 vs LSG, and followed it up with 84* vs DC and 54* vs MI, helping RR win all their three matches so far.
After his knock against Mumbai, Riyan Parag was given the Orange cap which he proudly wore. He has scored 181 runs, which is the same as Virat Kohli, the RCB opener.
Why did Riyan Parag get the Orange Cap even when he has same runs as Virat Kohli?
While both Parag and Kohli have the same number of runs – 181 runs – Parag got the Orange Cap because he has a better strike rate (160) than Kohli’s strike rate of 141. The IPL rules say that when two players have same number of runs, the batter with a higher strike rate will be ahead in the pecking order.
Until last season, RR had used Parag as a finisher, mostly batting him from numbers 6 to 8. But after observing his sensational run in domestic cricket at number 4, RR pinned him for the same role in the IPL 2024.
Parag said, “I have had three to four years of not performing at all. And you really go back to your hotel room and you think… that when you know you can do something and the performances are not coming, you get back to the drawing [board]. I tried finding what was wrong, and I figured out that I was not practicing at this level enough.
“So I went back after the [last] season and practised very hard, and I think that’s showing now. I’ve practiced [against] these types of quick balls and these kinds of scenarios a lot, hence the performances.”
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