Riyan Parag: From Trolling Target to Rising Star in IPL 2024

Riyan Parag’s Resilience Shines Through in IPL 2024

NEW DELHI: Enduring relentless trolling is undeniably challenging, especially for someone barely in their teens. Riyan Parag’s cricketing journey has been far from smooth sailing in that regard.

With only 600 runs from 54 matches across previous seasons, he became a target for merciless criticism, enduring heavy-duty trolling and becoming the subject of countless memes on social media.

However, in IPL 2024, Riyan has emerged as a transformed player, displaying renewed determination that has seen him amass 284 runs, trailing only behind Virat Kohli in the list of top run-scorers.

Rather than extravagant celebrations, Riyan’s responses have been conveyed solely through his performances on the pitch. It appears he has finally grasped how to navigate life beyond the cricketing field, finding his stride both on and off the 22 yards.

“Life on the outside of cricket really affects you. And that’s one big major part which has played in my career is how I deal with it,” Riyan said ahead of Rajasthan Royals’s IPL game against KKR on Tuesday.

Throughout his previous seasons, Riyan has never maintained an average exceeding 17. His most notable performance with the bat occurred during his debut year, where he accumulated 160 runs from seven matches, boasting an average of 32.00.

But under Zubin Bharucha’s guidance at the Royals Academy in Talegaon, things changed as he worked hard on his game, fitness and results showed in every domestic tournament this year.

His name is doing rounds as a possible contender in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup in USA and West Indies but realistically, it is the tour of Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, where he has more realistic chance of making the cut.

“I’m not really thinking about it (World Cup) to be very honest. If you told me last year I’d be in this position, I would not believe you,” Riyan said.

“Cricketing-wise, I think playing at No. 4 is, again, something which I’m used to doing in domestic cricket in different situations, more common situations, actually. But yeah, it’s been a mix of both, emotionally and skill-wise.”

“I feel i’ve been contributing a lot to the team and that’s what I’ve been trying to do for the last few years, it hasn’t really clicked. This time it has and I just want to continue that,” he said.

Riyan Parag’s resilience and determination have truly shone through in IPL 2024, showcasing his growth both as a player and as a person. As he continues to excel on the cricket field, his future looks brighter than ever before.