Riyan Parag reveals Virat Kohli's message on autographed bat

Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Riyan Parag has shared a glimpse of his bat autographed by Indian skipper Virat Kohli. Parag shared the photo during a Q&A session on his Instagram handle, in reply to a user who asked for his 'most loved celebrity autograph'.

Riyan Parag added a succinct caption to the photo, calling Virat Kohli the 'G.O.A.T'. Virat Kohli's heartwarming message on the bat alongside his signature was also visible.

"Dear Riyan, enjoy the game. Good luck," wrote Kohli.

The signed bat of Riyan Parag by Virat Kohli. pic.twitter.com/jXVhJu6mJ1

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 6, 2021

Riyan Parag had a disappointing first half of IPL 2021 with the Rajasthan Royals. The 19-year-old batted in Six innings, scoring just 78 runs at an average and strike rate of 19.50 and 144.44 respectively. He bowled just five overs of his part-time off-spin, picking up a solitary wicket.

A fruitful season could have potentially fast-tracked him to the Indian team through the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. But that looks highly unlikely at the moment, given the raging completion even among white-ball specialists in India.

Riyan Parag had revealed his inspiring chat with Virat Kohli

Wait, what? 🤔🙊😂#HallaBol | #RoyalsFamily | #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/63GIT4BGAp

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) May 29, 2021

Riyan Parag has often called Virat Kohli his idol and inspiration. In an earlier interview, Parag had revealed his conversation with the Indian captain about the mental aspect of batting.

Virat Kohli advised the youngster not to worry about accolades like the Orange Cap and instead focus on getting as many runs as possible for his team.

"No, it doesn't actually [if not getting a lot of chances to bat matters to him]. I had a chat with Virat Kohli during the last IPL. He specifically told me that 'you are not going to get the Orange Cap. You bat No. 5 or No. 6 so there is no point in you thinking about the Orange Cap. You just think about how you can get those crucial 20 or 30 runs and when you get the chance to go in at a crucial phase, just think how you can get the team through.' So that really fit in my mind and now I don't think about how many runs I'm getting, I just think how my runs are benefiting the team," Riyan Parag had told Cricbuzz.

Rajasthan Royals have often touted Riyan Parag as their long-term investment. The all-rounder will look to overturn his and his team's fortunes when the IPL season resumes in September.

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