Shane Bond, the bowling coach of Rajasthan Royals, commended Riyan Parag for his exceptional batting performance in the MI vs RR match. Bond also drew comparisons between Parag and the legendary Mumbai Indians batsman, Suryakumar Yadav, highlighting similarities in their playing styles.
Suryakumar Yadav, a key player for Mumbai Indians, is currently sidelined from IPL 2024 due to an injury. However, he is expected to return to the squad later in the tournament. Known for his explosive batting style, Yadav boasts four international centuries and an impressive strike rate of over 171 in 60 T20I matches.
Shane Bond Compared Riyan Parag To Suryakumar Yadav
In Yadav’s absence, Riyan Parag stepped up for Rajasthan Royals in a crucial match against Mumbai Indians on April 1. Despite losing three top-order batsmen early, Parag played a composed innings, scoring an unbeaten 54 runs to guide his team to victory in a low-scoring chase.
Rajasthan Royals’ bowling coach Shane Bond commended Riyan Parag for his impressive innings, drawing comparisons between the young batter and Suryakumar Yadav. Bond highlighted Parag’s batting style, which resembles that of Yadav, indicating the potential and talent Parag possesses. Shane Bond said:
“He sort of reminds me a little bit of Surya [Suryakumar], who came to Mumbai a few years ago. He looks like that – he has got extreme talent. He has just matured as a cricketer, even though he is only 22,”
Shane Bond also pointed out that while most finishers in IPL teams tend to be seasoned players, Riyan Parag stands out at just 22 years old. This highlights the young cricketer’s maturity and ability to handle pressure situations at a relatively young age. He said:
“Riyan started so young, you forget that he was 17 or something, playing in one of the toughest spots in a batting line-up: No. 6. You look at the characters who finish games around the IPL, they are generally pretty experienced guys. The Tim Davids, the David Millers… these are high-quality players who play international cricket”,
Riyan Parag has been exceptional in all of Rajasthan Royals‘ matches in IPL 2024 so far. He showcased his batting prowess with scores of 43 against Lucknow Super Giants, an unbeaten 84 against Delhi Capitals, and an unbeaten 54 against Mumbai Indians. With a total of 181 runs in just 3 matches, Parag currently leads the run-scoring charts in IPL 2024. His impressive average of over 181 and a strike rate exceeding 160 underline his impact with the bat.
Next, Parag and Rajasthan Royals will face Royal Challengers Bangalore in their upcoming IPL 2024 match on Saturday, April 6, at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.