Since his IPL debut in 2019, Riyan 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.

Recently, the Assam batter took the Indian domestic circuit by storm as he slammed a 56-ball ton in the first-round Ranji Trophy match against Chhattisgarh.

While Assam lost the match 10 wickets, Parag left a lasting impression on everyone with his knock of 155 in 87 balls that included 11 fours and 12 sixes.

Veteran India spinner R Ashwin was also left mesmerized by the Riyan Parag whirlwind knock and went on to say that the Assam skipper shouldn’t be called an overhyped cricketer just for his IPL performances.

Notably, Parag is yet to make a mark in the Indian Premier League but Ashwin stated that his Rajasthan Royals teammate is still a young player “who is getting better.”

“Riyan Parag is frequently criticised as an overhyped cricketer after just seeing his IPL performances. We forget that he's a youngster sometimes. He is still a young player who is getting better. Parag made useful contributions in the Syed Mushtaq Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy and slammed 155 for Assam against Chattisgarh in the first match of the ongoing Ranji Trophy season,” Ashwin said on his official YouTube channel.

“He scored 155 off 87 balls. He didn't play for the sake of playing T20 cricket. He was pushed into that situation. All the batters on the other end fell like flies, and he took charge of his own hands and played such a knock,” he added.

1n 2019, Riyan Parag was roped in by Rajasthan Royals (RR) for INR 10 lakh. Even though he failed to justify the price tag, RR bought him back in the IPL 2022 mega-auction.

The 22-year-old had an underwhelming IPL 2022 season, scoring 183 runs in 17 games at an average of 16.64 with only one half-century. In IPL 2023, he scored 78 runs from seven matches at an average of 13 while his overall batting average reads 16.22 after 54 games.

The numbers are certainly not impressive and Parag must be keen to improve it in the upcoming IPL season.