‘He knows his game better’: Kumar Sangakkara heaps praise on Rajasthan Royals batsman Riyan Parag

Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Delhi Capitals (DC), Rajasthan Royals director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara said all-rounder Riyan Parag Will maintain the fourth spot and point to his greater maturity and desire. Teammates Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel rose to national prominence with the Indian team. Riyan started his IPL 2024 season with a 29-ball 43 (including four and three sixes) against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in his team’s opener.

After years of hard work, the young man was promoted to fourth place. The knock could be the start of a breakthrough IPL season for Riyan, who has previously been criticized for poor performances despite being largely out of position to bat over the years.

Last season, Parag scored 78 runs in seven innings. In IPL 2022, he scored 183 runs in 14 innings. In 2021, he scored 93 runs in 10 innings. The numbers look very bland when one then looks at his domestic cricket numbers for Assam, where he showed his more all-round side as a batsman.

Royals director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo: “It’s a cricketing decision.” The Sri Lankan legend admitted how difficult it was for Parag to refuse the order and not be able to show what he is truly capable of.

“We’ve watched his performances over the years. It’s a very difficult thing for a guy like Riyan, who has the all-round ability to play but always only plays in the most difficult parts of the game, he has to Go out there and keep moving forward.” Rate of death overs. “

“We all feel he can play a bigger role for us. The hard work he has put in before this season, all the results he has achieved in domestic cricket, played a role in this decision,” he concluded.

Sangakkara said Riyan must repay the faith shown in him and continue to work hard on his game.

“He’s very quick, so the important position of number four is perfect for him,” he added.

In his 43-run stand against LSG, he stood with captain Sanju Samson for 93 and only started attacking when he felt fully ready at the crease. This approach suited his style of play in Assam, for which he scored a lot, especially in white-ball cricket.

In four matches in the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy, Parag scored 378 runs in six innings at an average of 75.6 with two centuries and a fifty. His best score is 155 points.

Parag also led Assam to the semi-finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 competition and became the top run-scorer with 510 runs at an average of 85 with 7 half-centuries. He also took 11 wickets.

Last year, while playing for East Zone, Parag emerged as the leading run-getter in the Deodhar Trophy, a 50-over tournament, and led his team to the final. In five games and five innings, Parag scored 354 runs at an average of 88.50 and a strike rate of over 136. He scored two hundreds and a fifty. Most of his runs have come in pressure situations and he has found himself leading the team out of trouble after losing early wickets or experiencing breakdowns. He was awarded the title of “Player of the Tournament” during the tournament.

Sangakkara said Riyan’s maturity stands out and he has changed a lot in terms of self-awareness and knowing what is good for him and his lifestyle.

“The biggest thing we see in Riyan is maturity. Whatever support we give players, self-awareness of the game, knowing what’s good for you, the way you live your life on and off the pitch – all of it. These have changed at Riyan,” the director of cricket said.

“He is still a very, very young cricketer (at only 22 years old). We should not forget that. He has also been in the spotlight over the years as one of the faces of the team, the young team. .He also saw huge jumps [Yashasvi] Jaiswal and [Dhruv] Jurel has made progress, he is now full of desire there and becomes a role model for the national team. “

“We know players have various ambitions; IPL is one of them. He has learned more about his game and taking on more responsibilities has become non-negotiable for him,” Sangakkara concluded.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)