Sunil Gavaskar, the former Indian skipper and renowned batsman, suggested that Riyan Parag might be in line for a call-up to the Indian team following his standout performance against the Gujarat Titans last Wednesday.
After notching up his third half-century of the IPL 2024 season and rising to the second spot in the Orange Cap standings, the 22-year-old Assam batsman Riyan Parag earned glowing accolades from none other than the cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar. Gavaskar offered words of encouragement to Parag, urging him to keep up his impressive form with the bat for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2024. He hinted that a call-up to the national team might be on the horizon if the talented youngster can maintain his consistency. Parag had struggled to leave a lasting impact despite showing sparks of brilliance in previous IPL seasons.
Gavaskar praised Parag for seizing the chance and capitalizing on it, putting him just below Virat Kohli in the Orange Cap standings.“Riyan Parag made Gujarat pay for those lapses. That’s what cricket is all about. You get an opportunity and you make the most of it. And he has made the most of it. He is playing some unbelievable cricket,” Sunil Gavaskar told Star Sports after GT’s win over RR.
Gavaskar gave some sound advice to Parag, encouraging him to stick to his batting style despite his already impressive performance this season. He also commended his skills in fielding and bowling.
He stated, “Not just in the IPL, but right through the season, he has had enormous success. He is someone that the selection committee has got an eye on. And so all he needs to do is keep on batting the way he has been. His fielding, we all know about it, he is an excellent fielder. And he can bowl a few of those dribbly-dobbies, I call them mixed pakodas.”
In a twist of fate, the Royals found themselves in a tight spot early on, losing both their openers during the powerplay. However, this paved the way for Riyan Parag to step up to the plate. Parag displayed remarkable skill with the bat, partnering with Sanju Samson to set a formidable total of 196 runs against GT. His innings of 76 runs off just 48 balls marked his third fifty of the season, propelling him to the second spot in the Orange Cap race.
Despite Parag’s heroic efforts, RR’s winning streak of four matches came to an end in their first game of the IPL 2024 season. It was a nail-biting encounter in Jaipur, with Rashid Khan’s quickfire 24 off 11 balls and Shubman Gill’s stellar innings of 72 runs leading GT to victory in the final over.
