'Tried to copy Smriti Mandhana, didn't work out well', says Rajasthan Royals' Riyan Parag

Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Riyan Parag made all the headlines during IPL 2019 when his 31-ball 47 helped his side register a thrilling three-wicket win against the Kolkata Knight Riders.

In what was only his debut season, the Rajasthan Royals starlet displayed a fearless brand of batting and was at his attacking best. Parag scored 160 runs from seven matches at a strike rate of close to 130 and made a quite name for himself.

In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, the Rajasthan Royals starlet speaks about cricketers who have inspired him, his stint with the Royals and more.

"When the Royals signed me, I feel it was a dream come true and I was delighted because the IPL is one of the cricket’s biggest leagues in the world. Getting picked by the Royals, the inaugural season winners, was a surreal feeling," Parag said.

Parag has enjoyed a successful couple of years, having made a name with a fantastic Ranji debut for Assam, apart from penning down a contract with Red Bull. In particular, Parag feels that his association with Red Bull is an important part of his career.

As for his career so far, the youngster recalled the first time he walked out to bat, when MS Dhoni was behind the stumps for the Chennai Super Kings. Parag reckons that it's an honour to have played alongside big names such as Virat Kohli, Jos Buttler and Dhoni and his first outing with the bat was a surreal feeling.

Riyan Parag credits Rajasthan Royals teammates for fearless brand of batting

Riyan Parag batted with Steve Smith at the Rajasthan Royals

The youngster also attributes his fearless brand of cricket to the constant backing he received from his Rajasthan Royals teammates, Ben Stokes and Steve Smith.

"The fearless brand of cricket came from Stokesy (Ben Stokes) and Smith, they just told me to play my natural game and express myself and not think about what’s going to happen. It gave me the comfort to just go out there and express my ability," he said.

From his interactions with big names such as Kohli and Dhoni, Parag claims that he's picked an important trait of keeping things simple. As for his style of batting, the Rajasthan Royals all-rounder has a unique mix of patience and aggression.

And when probed about modelling his batting style similar to any of the senior cricketers, Parag says he's taken inspiration from many players, but currently, he's sticking to his own style.

"I think played a lot with Virat Kohli's stance, played U-19 World Cup as well, that worked out pretty well. I tried to copy Smriti Mandhana too but that didn’t really work out well, I couldn’t adjust the timing and stuff like that. At some point of time I must have tried Rohit Sharma’s stance because he is so elegant, that didn’t work out either. So, I am back to basics and back to my own stance," the youngster added.

For a youngster who is just 18 years of age, Parag is very mature in understanding how he needs to go about balancing his cricket, fitness and love for gaming. The Rajasthan Royals youngster claims that he thinks of a match only half an hour before it begins, and believes in doing well under pressure.

Parag's free time off the cricket field is spent in gaming, which helps him keep his mind away from the game and stay relaxed. However, the youngster remains determined to work hard and do all that he can to realise his dream of playing for the country.

"There has only been one dream and that’s playing for senior Indian Team. Other than that I just want to go with the flow. I have had a decent IPL and a senior domestic season under my belt. I am just waiting for any opportunity that comes my way and I want to grab it and make it as big as I can," the Rajasthan Royals all-rounder said.

Having learned to balance cricket, gaming and fitness, Parag is willing to wait for his opportunities and make the most of the chances he gets. And with a great start to his career, one can expect the Guwahati-born all-rounder to make his national side debut in a few years from now.