3 IPL teams other than Rajasthan Royals where Riyan Parag would be a good fit

A brilliant run of form with both the bat and ball defined Riyan Parag's Deodhar Trophy 2023 campaign as he so nearly took East Zone to the title. The Assam all-rounder made his presence felt throughout the tournament en route to East Zone's run into the final, where they went down to South Zone by 45 runs.

Parag finished the Deodhar Trophy as the leading run-getter with 354 runs at an average of 88.50, apart from picking up 11 wickets from five matches. Unsurprisingly, he was adjudged the Player of the Tournament having picked up two four-wicket hauls, apart from scoring two centuries and a 65-ball 95 in the final.

These numbers are in stark contrast to his returns in the IPL, where he plies his trade for the Rajasthan Royals (RR). Parag made a good first impression in his debut season in 2019 but since then, just hasn't settled into a comfortable role, often having to do the dirty work of finishing the innings with very little time to assess conditions.

The 21-year-old all-rounder averages 16.22 at a strike rate of 123.97 after 44 innings in the league - numbers that by no means do justice to his talent. Given the consistency he has shown against good bowling attacks in domestic cricket and the number of times he has stood tall under pressure, one wonders if a change of scene is just what Parag needs.

With this in mind, let's look at three teams where Parag could fit in well for IPL 2024 - assuming that the Royals part ways with him ahead of the season.

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#1 Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

It's almost elementary for a player at a crossroads in his IPL career to redeem himself at the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Right from Ashish Nehra to Ajinkya Rahane, the tournament has seen plenty of such examples over the years.

A good reason is the clarity in the role assigned to each player. Rahane spoke of the same in what was a successful campaign for him and the Super Kings as they lifted their fifth IPL title this year. It has often come down to the team management knowing what works best for the concerned player and optimizing him in that manner.

With Ambati Rayudu hanging up his boots, a spot for an Indian middle-order batter has opened up in the CSK ranks. Parag, you'd think, fits in like a hand in a glove. He's a brilliant fielder and his off-spinners open up an extra option for skipper MS Dhoni.

Most importantly though, he should flourish with a clear role and entry point assigned to him much like Dube. If this opportunity opens up ahead of IPL 2024, it would be a win-win for both Parag and the Super Kings.

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#2 Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)

Having made headlines for their appointment of Andy Flower as head coach, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are bound to start looking into how their squad for IPL 2024 takes shape under his guidance.

Their 2023 campaign was all about three individuals with the bat - Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, and Glenn Maxwell. Rajat Patidar's absence was massive and none of the other Indian batters left a long-lasting impact.

What RCB also seemed to lack dearly was a good hitter of spin bowling. Parag certainly ticks off that box and could be a good fit into their current scheme of things, while tackling pace equally well. The catch that remains is his batting position, lest he walks out in the death overs again with the three aforementioned superstar batters beginning well and facing the majority of the overs.

Keeping the long run in mind though, Parag should have a significant role to play if he ever joins RCB. Teaming up with Kohli, for whom he has publicly expressed his admiration, also ought to bring the best out of him to the fore.

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#3 Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

Another team that seemed to struggle with its Indian batting options in IPL 2023 was Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Having made back-to-back playoffs, the Super Giants failed to cross the Eliminator for a second time running.

Deepak Hooda endured a torrid season with the bat while Krunal Pandya - who stepped into KL Rahul's captaincy shoes after the latter's injury - hasn't been at his best as a batter for a few seasons now. Ayush Badoni and Prerak Mankad made a mark but something still seems amiss in that middle order.

Be it bailing his team out of a crisis or taking the attack to the opposition, Parag has made a habit of it in domestic cricket. Quite often, LSG have got the entry points of their batters horribly wrong and while that could be dicey territory for the all-rounder in question, it also presents a fresh opportunity.

It could come as the change that sees him come of age in the IPL. At the same time, he could just get that role in the middle order which one always felt he was best suited to. Time will tell if this materializes of course, and it will come down to what his future with the Royals looks like.

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Does Riyan Parag need a fresh beginning in the IPL? Have your say in the comments section below!

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