Rajasthan Royals have been backing Riyan Parag in the last three seasons but the youngster hasn’t been able to grab his opportunities with both hands. There is no doubt that Parag has a lot of talent under his belt but he hasn’t been able to maximize it thus far.
However, Parag played a crucial knock of 56 runs against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Tuesday to prove his critics wrong. In fact, RR was in all kinds of trouble at 68-4 after the first 10 overs however Parag was able to bat till the end to provide the finishing touches.
It wasn’t the easiest of pitches as it was two-paced and the youngster from Assam was able to make the most of the last two overs. Parag was dropped by Wanindu Hasaranga when he was on 32 and he took 18 runs off the final over by Harshal Patel to take his team past the 140-run mark.
This was Parag’s second IPL fifty as he finally delivered for the team when they had their backs against the wall.
Sanju Samson was delighted with the youngster’s batting and heaped praise on him in the post-match presentation. The RR captain said, “It is a really great win. After the start in the first 15 overs, we had real belief and trust in someone called Riyan Parag. We have been backing him for the last three-four years and he just showed it to the world today. I thought we were 10-15 runs short with no dew in the second innings. The pitch was turning and was two-paced, so 150-160 would have been a good total. It was something we were waiting for, for the back end of our batting to win us matches. Almost everyone has put up a match-winning performance so far.”
He added, “The chat we had just before the second innings, was that when you are chasing 200 there is only one gear. But for such totals like 150, it was only a matter of putting pressure as the batsmen had to change gears. The dressing room atmosphere is really important. We make a couple of changes according to the wicket and the opponent, but communication is very important. Karun, for example, was left out just because we needed that one over from Daryl Mitchell, and he understands that, and he can come back in later.”
This knock will definitely add a lot of confidence to Riyan Parag, who hasn’t played up to his potential. Furthermore, Parag took four crucial catches as his confidence was palpable.
Rajasthan Royals will next face Mumbai Indians at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai on Saturday.
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