Riyan Parag reveals being unwell for three days, needing painkillers to be ready for RR vs DC

Riyan Parag emerged as the architect of Rajasthan Royals' 12-run win against the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Thursday. Parag slammed a blistering 84 runs from 45 balls including a highlight-worthy 24 runs - 4, 4, 6, 4, 6 - off Anrich Nortje in the final over of the innings. The feat gets more impressive considering he was in bed for three days and needed painkillers to even make it to the field.

“I have worked very hard, the last 3 days I was in bed, I was on painkillers, I just got up today and I’m very happy,” the 22-year-old from Assam said after being adjudged Player of the Match.

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IPL 2023, Parag mustered just 78 runs across seven innings at an average of 13. The return was paltry for a team that had splashed ₹3.8 crore on buying his services in the auction. This season, he’s on to 127 runs while batting at No. 4. His highest IPL score in Jaipur on Thursday steered RR to 185/5.

Met a guy at NCA few weeks ago. He came with a slight niggle. Completely focused on his recovery and with great discipline working on his skills. And I was not wrong to tell that to one of the coaches there ‘He is a changed guy’
RIYAN PARAG 2.0 🔥
Watch out

— Surya Kumar Yadav (@surya_14kumar) March 28, 2024

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“(Emotions) They are settled, mom is here, she has seen the struggle, the last 3-4 years,” he said. “I know what my opinion is about myself. That does not change regardless of whether I get a zero or not.”

The Assam player has shifted roles from finisher to No. 4 batter and comes into the IPL season on the back of scoring runs in the Deodhar trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s. In the 2023-24 Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy, he was the top scorer with 510 runs from 10 innings at an average of 85 and strike rate of nearly 183. It included a run of seven half-centuries in a row - a T20 record.

“I think it’s a result of a lot of practice behind the scenes,” Parag said. “I think it’s not about the bowler but the ball he is bowling and I practiced a lot of those balls and I could execute a few of them tonight.”

“I always have my options ready on both sides of the wicket. That’s what I’ve been working on lately and I just back myself,” Parag said. “I know I’ve got the power and the strength to dig out yorker balls or even hit sixes off the short balls. So, I’m just backing myself and whenever it comes, I’m going to hit a boundary. Sometimes, it does work out and sometimes it doesn’t.”

“That’s a lot to do with the type of season as well, I had a great domestic season and that helps,” he said. “Someone in the top four has to play the 20 overs, the wicket was keeping low and stopping, in the first game Sanju bhayya (Sanju Samson) did it.”

Parag’s performance impressed skipper Sanju Samson. “Riyan Parag has been a big name in the last few years. Wherever I go, people ask me about him. There is something very special he can give to Indian cricket,” Samson said.

RR had a disastrous start as they were 36/3 in the eighth over but Parag slowly constructed his innings before accelerating in the end to lift them to a good total. “The way we started, the first ten overs, we were like Rovman, be ready you might have to bat! The IPL is changing and we all have to be flexible,” Samson said.