Deodhar Trophy: I am taking one game at a time, says Riyan Parag

Walking out to bat with East Zone at 52 for four, Parag scored a 102-ball 131 to catapult the team to 337. To add to his spoils, Parag picked four wickets as East cruised to an 88-run victory against North Zone. Puducherry In Friday’s Deodhar Trophy game between East Zone and North Zone, Riyan Parag gave a glimpse of why Rajasthan Royals took a punt on a 17-year-old in 2019.

In Friday’s Deodhar Trophy game between East Zone and North Zone, Riyan Parag gave a glimpse of why Rajasthan Royals took a punt on a 17-year-old in 2019.

Walking out to bat with East at 52 for four, Parag scored a 102-ball 131 to catapult the team to 337. To add to his spoils, Parag picked four wickets as East cruised to an 88-run victory.

The outing added to Parag’s purple patch in List-A cricket. The 21-year-old was part of the India-A team for the recently concluded Emerging Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.

“I wore the Indian jersey after like five years. I last played for India at the 2018 Under-19 World Cup. I got emotional the first time I wore the jersey. Representing your country is a big thing, even if it is for the India-A team. It just felt surreal,” Parag told Sportstar.

Not many among the emerging crop of players have polarised opinions like Parag has done. Over his career, still in its nascent stage, Parag has been greeted by scrutiny and support in equal proportion.

While his contemporaries from the Under-19 World Cup-winning India team - Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw, Arshdeep Singh and Shivam Mavi - have played for the senior team, Parag remains a prospect.

In his 54 games in the IPL, Parag has scored 600 runs at just 16.2, prompting questions about whether he can make the jump. In 2023, the all-rounder was dropped from the line-up after a string of poor performances.