Kumar Sangakkara explained Riyan Parag’s batting promotion with a statement which included Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel.
Boasting good form from domestic cricket, Riyan Parag began his IPL 2024 campaign with a crucial knock of 43 runs off 29 balls in Rajasthan Royals’s season opener against Lucknow Super Giants. RR sealed a 20-run win and Parag’s knock proved to be pivotal.
Rajasthan Royals’ Riyan Parag plays a shot.(AFP)
Unlike previous IPL seasons, Parag was also pushed up to no. 4 in the batting order which turned out to be the right decision as he smacked one four and three sixes during his knock.
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Commenting on Parag’s promotion RR’s Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara revealed that it was ‘a cricketing decision’. Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, the Sri Lanka legend said, “It was a cricketing decision. We looked at how he has performed over the years. It is a very difficult thing for someone like Riyan, who has an overall game, just to always only get the toughest parts of the game where he has to come in and up the run rate at the death overs.”
“We all felt that he has a much more important role that he can play for us. And the hard work that he did leading up to the season, all the runs he scored at domestic cricket, all played a part in that decision,” he added.
Pointing out his maturity, Sangakkara said, “The biggest thing we have seen in Riyan is maturity. Irrespective of the support we offer players, self-awareness of your game, knowing what is good for you, how your lifestyle is both on and off the field – all of that has changed in Riyan.”
“He’s still a very, very young cricketer (aged just 22 years). We should not forget that. He is also been hugely in the focus over the years as one of the faces of the franchise, of the younger brigade. He has also seen the huge jumps that [Yashasvi] Jaiswal and [Dhruv] Jurel have made, and he’s got a hunger there now and an example to follow into the national team. We know players have a variety of ambitions; – IPL is one of them. He understands his game more and taking on more responsibility has become non-negotiable for him.”
Parag was constantly under criticism for the last few IPL seasons, with fans and experts feeling that he was underperforming a lot. But this time, he is on the back of a good domestic season. In four matches of the Ranji Trophy 2023-24, he made 378 runs in six innings, at an average of 75.6, packed with two tons and a half-century.
Meanwhile, he also took Assam to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy semi-finals, and was the tournament’s highest run-scorer with 510 runs at an average of 85, including seven half-centuries. He also took 11 wickets.
In the Deodhar Trophy last year, he was the highest run-scorer and represented East Zone, who reached the finals. In five matches, he smacked 354 runs at an average of 88.50 and strike rate of over 136. He also got two centuries and a fifty.
