Rajasthan Royals bowling coach Shane Bond heaped praise on youngster Riyan Parag who is having a dream run with the bat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).
An investment from the past has finally started to pay off as Parag is showcasing his true potential with his strokeplay which is filled with technical prowess.
The 22-year-old Assam batsman, who made a valiant 48 off 34 balls in the Royals’ five-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings on Wednesday, became only the fifth uncapped player in IPL history to score over 500 runs in a season.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (623 runs in 2023), Shaun Marsh (616 runs in 2008), Ishan Kishan (516 runs in 2020) and Suryakumar Yadav (512 runs in 2018) previously made over 500 runs in a season before earning an international cap.
In 13 matches this season, Parag has scored 531 runs at an average of 59 while striking at 153.58.
This is an amazing turnaround for Parag who managed just 440 runs in 39 matches in the previous four editions of the cash-rich league.
The promotion to the number four spot in the batting order has helped the right-handed batter, who came into the IPL 2024 on the back of a prolific domestic campaign, enjoy the best season of his life.
“Riyan has had an amazing season. That promotion to No.4 has really suited Riyan. He has had a number of years batting in a position that was pretty tough down the order,” Bond said.
“People forget how young he is. It just takes time when you are young. Obviously saw how well he played in domestic cricket. Particularly in the T20s and he has just rolled on.
“He is a quality player. There is no doubt about that. I am really excited and proud of him the way he has played so far. I think the team is super excited for him, he has borne the brunt of criticism over the last few years in terms of performances.”
Rajasthan have qualified for the playoffs and will end their group stage campaign against guaranteed table-toppers Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday.