Riyan Parag has much more important role to play: Rajasthan Royals head coach

Guwahati: The sterling international success of Yashasvi Jaiswal and more recently Dhruv Jurel has fuelled Riyan Parag’s hunger to excel, feels Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara, who has elevated the cricketer to the crucial number four spot this season.

Riyan Parag, the 22-year-old cricketer from Assam, first played for the Rajasthan Royals in 2019. After performing the finisher’s role for the franchise on several occasions, Riyan has been promoted higher up the order considering his improved work ethic and performances in domestic cricket.

The start at the new number was promising as he smashed 43 off 29 balls in Rajasthan Royals’ win over the Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur on Sunday. Ahead of their second game at home, Sangakkara explained the rationale behind the decision to promote Riyan in the batting order.

“We looked at how he performed over the years. It is a difficult thing for someone like Riyan who has an overall game to only get the toughest parts of the game, where he has to come in and up the run rate at the death. We all felt he had a much more important role to play for us. The hard work he has done and runs he has scored leading up to the season played a part in that decision,” the Sri Lankan legend Sangakkara said on Wednesday.

“Players have to repay the faith and he has made a great start and needs to keep reading the game well and trusting himself on what he can do at number 4. He is good against pace and spin and that number is ideal for him,” he added.

Talking more about the change he has seen in Parag over the years, Sangakkara said that the biggest change they have seen in him is his maturity and self-awareness.

“What your game is and how your lifestyle is on and off the field. All of that has changed in Riyan. He is still a very young cricketer and he should not forget that. He has also seen the huge jump Jaiswal and now Jurel have made. He has got the hunger now and an example to follow,” Sangakkara further said.