Despite piling up big runs in domestic cricket this season, Assam batter Riyan Parag was not considered for selection in the Indian team.
Since his IPL debut in 2019, Parag has divided opinions among Indian cricket fans. While some see him as a future superstar, some believe that he hasn't lived up to the expectations yet.
The 22-year-old finished the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2023-24 season as the top run-getter with 510 runs from 10 matches. There were speculations that Parag could be picked in the Indian team for the ongoing home T20I series against Australia or the South Africa tour, but he failed to make the cut.
The constant overlook might be disappointing for Riyan Parag, but former India pacer Zaheer Khan has advised the right-hander to keep grinding in domestic cricket while citing the example of Suryakumar Yadav.
"The classic example is Suryakumar Yadav. You know, you go back to say five years. So Riyan Parag has had a great year, he's played a lot of good innings, he has scored a lot of runs. This is one season," Zaheer said while speaking on Cricbuzz.
"You look at the Indian team right now, the options, the slots and the people waiting, that queue is also quite long.
"As a player I think you know what one needs to focus on, which is things which are in your hand, which is performance. You have to keep on putting these numbers year after year. You don't have to go that far. I think Surya is the right example right now for everyone to just talk about. Before he made his debut, if you just go back to his four years, he was so consistent with putting runs year after year that there came a point where they were saying now you can't ignore this guy because he is just ready, he is doing it year after year. Just because he has been so consistent, he deserves a spot," he further added.
Despite the constant backing, Riyan Parag has failed to make a mark in the IPL so far and it is perhaps a big negative point in his career graph.
Playing for Rajasthan Royals, Parag scored 78 runs from seven matches in the IPL 2023 season at an average of 13 while his overall batting average reads 16.22 after 54 games.
