Riyan Parag, the Assamese all-rounder, hasn't played for India in over a year but feels he can play both white-ball forms for the Men in Blue, but isn't now part of the national setup due to a shoulder injury.
Riyan's only ODI appearance was against Sri Lanka in August 2024, and his most recent T20I was played at home against Bangladesh in October of last year. Though the 24-year-old may have been selected for the forthcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa, which begins on December 9, Riyan was ultimately passed over.
“I felt I was pretty decent [for India]. This is my belief, or overconfidence; you can say whatever you want. But I know that because my shoulder was injured, I am currently not playing for India. Otherwise, I think I can play both white-ball formats [for India]. Whenever I am fully fit, you will see me in India colors again,” Riyan Parag was quoted as saying by Sportstar.
Under Riyan's captaincy, Assam has managed to salvage two victories in five games. The captain hasn't bowled in the competition yet and has disappointed as a batter, hitting just 39 runs at an average of 7.80 in five innings. Riyan isn't overly worried about his current downturn, though.
“I have been through these phases too many times. In domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL), there have been three to four years where I have had to struggle a lot. I am also returning from an injury, so I have to be mindful about that,” Riyan stated.
He believes that a successful domestic Twenty20 season is not a reliable indicator of form or readiness for the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“I had two SMAT seasons where I scored at an average of 45-50 in seven matches, and then couldn’t score 70 runs in the IPL in 14 matches. I have cried in the bathroom because I wasn’t scoring runs. I have wondered whether I should practice or not practice at all, or whether I should go on a vacation.
This [Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy] is all for muscle memory. If I score runs, then it is very good. If I don’t score, it is not like I won’t score in the IPL. Because it has happened that after scoring here, I have not scored there,” he added.
Riyan Parag has done well for RR in the last two IPL seasons, scoring 573 runs at a strike rate of 149.20 in IPL 2024 and 393 runs at a strike rate of 166.52 in IPL 2025.
