Riyan Parag, an uncapped Indian all-rounder, aims to be a consistent finisher for his franchise Rajasthan Royals (RR) and eventually the Indian cricket team, but his spot in the RR playing XI continues to be a subject of debate for the experts. Parag, who was bought for a staggering INR 3.8 crore, disappointed again as RR lost by 37 runs to Gujarat Titans (GT) on Thursday (April 14).
As he struggled to turn his start of 18 into a productive knock for the Royals with the team under pressure against GT, Parag, once again faced the wrath of public on social media. Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar also questioned the franchise's continued support for the player despite his lack of performance to back up his potential.
“Riyan Parag, in two full IPL seasons, and he averaged about 11. His strike rate was around 110. But, they went for him in this auction and bought him at a much higher price of ₹3.8 crore. There’s something that they have seen in him, which we haven’t seen in last three years. He’s young and I hope eventually we get to see why they keep going for Riyan Parag, with the kind of returns that he has given,” Manjrekar said on ESPNCricinfo.
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Parag recently told CricTracker that he aims to be the 'best finisher' not just for his IPL team Rajasthan Royals, but also for the Indian cricket team. The uncapped all-rounder also noted that he still has a lot of work to do to improve his consistency.
“I don’t want to praise myself too much, but I think I can be the best finisher not just for Rajasthan Royals but for India in years to come. I have got the skill-set, I’ve got all-rounder abilities and not just batting, fielding and bowling as well.”
“Yes, I’ve got a lot to work on and I’ve got to be consistent. I’ve got to work a lot on a lot of areas but I firmly believe that I can do it for the Rajasthan Royals team and the country as well,” he added.
So far in the IPL 2022, Parag has scored 12, 5, 8, and 18. Shubman Gill was his only wicket, which he took against Gujarat Titans. Though there's no doubt that Parag has the potential to be a key player for the Royals, there's still a significant gap between his potential and current performance, which he would like to address in the upcoming games.
