Riyan Parag has often been trolled for his antics on the field and on social media and his absence of performance with the willow and the ball, but he has now found a backer in former India keeper and chief selector Saba Karim.
However, the Assamese youngster recently made headlines for all the wrong reasons after receiving harsh criticism for his subpar performances in the IPL 2023 and the Emerging Teams Asia Cup. Riyan Parag only managed to score 78 runs in 7 games of the IPL 2023, averaging 13 runs per game with a 20-run high score.
Following that, he had yet another dismal performance in the Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023, scoring only 26 runs in 5 games. And every time the bat failed, the critics were harsh in their judgment. Riyan Parag received constant trolling on social media for his poor performance with the bat.
Riyan Parag finally roared back to form in the recently-concluded Deodhar Trophy, the inter-zonal 50-over competition. Playing for East Zone, the right-handed batsman starred with the bat and finished the competition as the highest run-scorer. In 5 games, he smashed 354 runs at a strike rate of almost 137 and an average of nearly 90.
Saba Karim Back Riyan Parag To Be A Future Star For India In White-Ball Cricket
He scored two centuries and came within five runs of scoring another in the championship. And because Riyan Parag performed well in the competition, selector and former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim called him “the youngster to watch out for.”
Saba Karim commended Riyan Parag’s capacity to generate power on Twitter, writing:
“I am sticking my neck out on this!! Riyan Parag is the youngster to watch out for in white ball cricket!! Very few can match the power he generates. Well played young man”
I am sticking my neck out on this!! Riyan Parag is the youngster to watch out for in white ball cricket!! Very few can match the power he generates. Well played young man#deodhartrophy@ParagRiyan pic.twitter.com/7QjssKryYb
— Syed Saba Karim (@SyedSabaKarim5) August 3, 2023
In the Deodhar Trophy final matchup versus South Zone, Parag was unable to lead East Zone to victory. With eight fours and five sixes to his credit, the batter hit 95 off only 65 balls, but it was insufficient as East Zone fell short of their 329 run goal by 45 runs.