"He was trolled a lot" - Aakash Chopra on Riyan Parag's 6 consecutive sixes in RR's IPL 2025 loss vs KKR

Former India player Aakash Chopra has lauded Riyan Parag for playing a fighting knock, studded with six consecutive sixes, in the Rajasthan Royals' (RR) IPL 2025 clash against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He recalled Parag being trolled when the youngster had tweeted about potentially hitting four sixes in an over two seasons ago.

KKR set RR a 207-run target in Match 53 of IPL 2025 in Kolkata on Sunday, May 4. Although Parag smashed 95 runs off 45 deliveries in the chase, RR were restricted to 205/8, losing the game by a solitary run.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener praised Parag for making his two-year-old prophecy come true when RR were in dire straits in their IPL 2025 clash against KKR.

"Riyan Parag had a mountain to climb. Half the team had been dismissed before the 10-over mark. Wanindu Hasaranga was sent up the order. He went and came back. He didn't disturb the scoreboard at all, and they were down and out. Shimron Hetmyer was going at a run-a-ball, and then Riyan Parag decides," Chopra said (14:30).

"Riyan Parag had tweeted two years ago that his inner conscience was saying that he would hit four sixes in an over that season. One doesn't tweet such things, but he did it. He was trolled a lot. He was a small kid, and he did it. He must have been manifesting. He might be writing it in a book nowadays," he added.

The cricketer-turned-commentator noted that the stand-in RR skipper took Moeen Ali to the cleaners.

"Then, when that day came, he hit six sixes. He hit five sixes in an over. He kept Moeen Ali only in the stands. Then he hit the first ball he played in the next over for a six, which means six sixes in a row. That was absolutely wow," Chopra observed.

Riyan Parag hit sixes off the last five legal deliveries of the 13th over bowled by Moeen Ali. The right-handed batter then smashed Varun Chakaravarthy for a six off the first ball he faced from the mystery spinner in the next over for his sixth consecutive maximum.

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"You tend to feel for RR" - Aakash Chopra on Riyan Parag and Co.'s narrow defeat in IPL 2025 clash vs KKR

RR have won only three games in IPL 2025 thus far. [P/C: iplt20.com]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that the Rajasthan Royals suffered another harrowing defeat despite Shubham Dubey (25* off 14) striking a few lusty blows in the final over.

"Rajasthan lost a match that was totally in Kolkata's control by just one run. Shubam Dubey hit a four and two sixes, but eventually that run-out happens. You tend to feel for RR as they have lost narrowly so many times. They just keep losing," he said (15:30).

However, the analyst added that Riyan Parag proved RR were right in showing faith in him.

"However, it was nice the way Riyan Parag played. It shows that the investment in him was right because, once in a while, when he plays like this, you see serious talent. The guy has the might," Chopra observed.

Aakash Chopra opined that Ajinkya Rahane erred in not giving the 18th and 20th overs to Andre Russell and the penultimate over to Harshit Rana. The KKR skipper gave the 18th over to Rana, the 19th over to Russell, and the final over to Vaibhav Arora, with Arora just managing to defend the 22 runs required off the last six balls.