Following his match-winning 54 not out off 39 balls against Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League on Monday, Rajasthan Royals batter Riyan Parag shared a heart-warming moment with his mother.
Parag blitzkrieg left the Mumbai Indians bamboozled as the Rajasthan Royals sailed to their third consecutive win in the IPL with a six-wicket triumph over the five-time champions at the Wankhede Stadium.
In a video shared by the Royals on X, Parag was seen sharing a hug with his mother, former national swimming champion Mithoo Barooah.
Barooah then lovingly placed Parag’s Orange Cap for most runs on his head.
“No one loves you like your mom does,” tweeted the official handle of RR.
Parag, whose father Parag Das also played first class cricket for Assam, has had a great turnaround in the IPL 2024.
He has been promoted to bat at number four, after years of failing to perform down the order as a finisher.
The young all-rounder faced trolling on social media for his performances in previous seasons but has shut them all down with his attacking intent and maturity.
In three matches, Riyan has scored 181 runs at an average of 181.00 and a strike rate of over 160, with two half-centuries.
He is tied with Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s star Indian batter Virat Kohli for most runs this season.
Kohli, Parag’s idol, has scored scored 181 runs in three matches at an average of 90.50, with a strike rate of over 141.
Parag’s performances this season have shown his talent and maturity, especially after his inauspicious batting displays in the previous three seasons.
Last season, Parag scored 78 runs in seven innings. In IPL 2022, his numbers were 183 runs in 14 innings and in 2021, he made only 93 runs in 10 innings.
But Parag came into this IPL season on the back of some superb performances in domestic cricket.
In four matches of the 2023-2024 Ranji Trophy season for Assam, Parag made 378 runs in six innings at an average of 75.6, with two centuries and a fifty. His best score was 155.
Parag also took Assam to the semifinals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 competition, ending the tournament as the leading run-scorer with 510 runs at an average of 85, with seven half-centuries. He also took 11 wickets.
In the Deodhar Trophy, a 50-over tournament last year, Parag ended as the leading run-getter while playing for East Zone, taking his team to the finals.
In five matches and five innings, Parag made 354 runs at an average of 88.50, with a strike rate of over 136. He scored two centuries and a fifty.
Most of his big knocks came in pressure situations and he found himself driving his team out of trouble after losing early wickets or going through a collapse. He earned the ‘Player of the Tournament’ title in the competition.
No wonder he is now showing his sparkling form in the IPL.