Riyan Parag, a newcomer in T20I cricket, was presented with his first international cap by his father, Parag Das, a former first-class player from Assam. This occurred before the inaugural T20I match between India and Zimbabwe in Harare on Saturday, July 6th. Parag earned his national selection following his impressive performances for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) during IPL 2024.
The batsman accumulated 573 runs in 15 matches at a strike rate of 149.22, scoring four half-centuries during his standout IPL season. In a video posted by the official broadcaster Sony Sports Network on X, Parag was shown receiving his cap from his father. Their caption read:
“A moment to cherish forever. @ParagRiyan was handed his first #TeamIndia cap by his proud father.”
A moment to cherish forever 💙@ParagRiyan was handed his first #TeamIndia cap by his proud father 🧢 🙌#SonySportsNetwork #ZIMvIND pic.twitter.com/x3YLFFcVSg
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) July 6, 2024
Parag Das, aged 47, has played for Assam in 43 first-class matches and 32 List-A games. He has scored 1936 runs in first-class cricket and 575 runs in List-A cricket, including one century and 18 half-centuries across both formats. He has also taken 53 wickets with the ball.
Das was once dismissed by MS Dhoni during a Ranji Trophy match between Assam and Bihar in the 1999-2000 season. The former Indian captain also got Riyan out during IPL 2019.
“This is the day Riyan played cricket for” – Riyan Parag’s father remarks on his national call
Parag Das, Riyan Parag’s father, recently praised his son for achieving a place in the national team. When asked about Riyan’s reaction to making it into the T20I squad, Parag Das described him as an introspective individual, as reported by India.com.
“Whatever dream and aim we had from the start, it got fulfilled today. This is the day Riyan played cricket for. He is pretty normal. He doesn’t react much. It’s impossible to get a reaction from Riyan as he doesn’t express much. He likes to keep his feelings within himself,” he added.
Riyan Parag originally strived to meet assumptions following making his IPL debut for RR, but he changed things around during the IPL 2024 season to give notably to the Royals’ journey to the playoffs. In total, the 22-year-old has contributed 1173 runs in 69 IPL matches, which includes six half-centuries. Additionally, as a part-time leg-spinner, he has grabbed four wickets.
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