5 times Riyan Parag stepped up with the bat under pressure

Assam batter Riyan Parag has often made news for the wrong reasons - be it his long run of low scores in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Rajasthan Royals (RR) or his on-field behavior, which some fans and critics have termed arrogant.

Parag has been trolled numerous times for his poor IPL record. Since making his debut in the 2019 season, he has scored only 600 runs in 54 matches at an average of 16.22 and a strike rate of 123.97, with two half-centuries. His first fifty came in 2019 and his second in 2022.

In a recent interview with Cricket.com, the 21-year-old opened up on how claims of him taking his place in the RR franchise for granted hurt him. Parag, however, has been in the news for the right reasons lately. He was the leading run-getter in the Deodhar Trophy 2023, hammering 354 runs in five matches for East Zone at an average of 88.50.

On that note, we look at five instances when the Assam batter stepped up with the willow under pressure.

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#1 (95 off 65) - Deodhar Trophy 2023 final

The 21-year-old scored 354 runs at an average of 88.50. (Pic: BCCI)

The effort may have come in a losing cause, but it was an exceptional one nonetheless. South Zone batted first and put up 328/5 on the board. Chasing the big total, East Zone got off to a disastrous start as Abhimanyu Easwaran (1), Utkarsh Singh (4), and Virat Singh (6) all fell cheaply.

Sudip Kumar Gharami (41) and Saurabh Tiwary (28) got starts but could not convert those into big knocks. Coming into bat at No. 6, Parag lifted East Zone with a spectacular counter-attack. He struck 95 off 65 balls, hitting eight fours and five sixes.

Parag and Kumar Kushagra (68 off 58) added 105 for the sixth wicket. The former was looking set for three figures but was trapped lbw by Washington Sundar. Although East Zone lost by 45 runs, it was a terrific effort nonetheless.

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#2 (174 off 116) - Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022 quarter-final

In the third quarter-final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022, Assam took on Jammu and Kashmir at the Gujarat College Ground in Ahmedabad. J&K batted first and put up an imposing 350/7 on the board as Henan Nazir scored 124 off 113 and Shubham Khajuria 120 off 84.

Assam need something out of the ordinary to pull off the chase, especially after they lost two wickets for 45 runs. Parag did exactly that, smashing a superb 174 off only 116 balls. His scintillating innings featured 12 sixes and an equal number of fours.

The right-handed batter and Rishav Das (114* off 118) added 277 runs for the third wicket as Assam booked their place in the semis with a thumping seven-wicket win.

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#3 (78 off 28) - Ranji Trophy 2022-23 Group match

Parag whacked a spectacular 78 off only 28 balls in the Elite Group B Ranji Trophy 2022-23 match for Assam against Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. In a closely contested game, Assam were bowled out for 205 and then held Hyderabad to 208.

It all came down to the second innings tussle and Assam needed someone to stand up. They lost two wickets for 29 runs, but Parag came and clobbered the Hyderabad bowlers. His scintillating knock featured eight fours and six sixes.

Thanks to Parag’s brilliance, Assam posted 252 in their second innings and then bowled out Hyderabad for 231 despite Tanmay Agarwal's 126*, registering a close 18-run win.

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#4 (77* off 54) - Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 Group match

Riyan Parag (right) scored 95 in a losing cause in the Deodhar Trophy 2023 final. (Pic: Getty Images)

Parag played a starring role as Assam beat Bengal runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 Group B match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Batting first, Assam got off to a disappointing start, losing Rishav Das for 0 and PP Das for 20.

Leading the team, Parag came in and clubbed an unbeaten 77 off only 54 balls to engineer a brilliant fightback. The 21-year-old smashed five fours and an equal number of sixes in his innings, adding 76 runs for the third wicket with Denish Das (34).

Courtesy of Parag’s aggressive knock, Assam posted 157/5 in five overs. The youngster also claimed two wickets as Bengal were held to 144/8, going down to Assam by 13 runs.

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#5 (56* off 31) - IPL 2022

Riyan Parag batting for Rajasthan Royals (Pic: iplt20.com)

Parag’s moments in the IPL have been few and far between. One of them came for RR against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Pune during the 2022 edition.

Rajasthan were sent into bat after losing the toss and were in big trouble at 33/3 inside the powerplay - Jos Buttler, Devdutt Padikkal, and Ravichandran Ashwin were back in the hut.

The score soon became 68/4 when Sanju Samson was cleaned up by Wanindu Hasaranga. However, Parag single-handedly lifted RR to a competitive score of 144/8, hitting three fours and four sixes in his unbeaten 56 off 31 balls.

Kuldeep Sen (4/20) and Ashwin (3/17) then starred with the ball as RCB were bowled out for 115. Parag made a good contribution in the field too, chipping in with four catches.