GUWAHATI: The 9th edition of the T20 World Cup began on Sunday with Team India set to commence its campaign against Ireland on June 5.
However, amidst the anticipation surrounding the tournament, Assam’s rising cricket star Riyan Parag, known for his exceptional performances with the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2024, revealed his disinterest in watching the grand event.
“It will be a biased answer (prediction on top four teams), but to be very honest, I don’t even want to watch the World Cup. I’ll just see who is winning it at the end, and I’ll be happy. When I will play the World Cup, I will think about the top four and all of that,” Parag remarked during a conversation with an Indian cricket supporters’ group.
Despite his reluctance to follow the tournament as a spectator, Parag expressed unwavering confidence in his abilities and his dream of representing India in cricket.
His impressive performance in IPL 2024, where he scored 573 runs at an average of 52.09 and a strike rate of 149.21, has bolstered his belief in his potential to play for the country.
“At some point, you’ll have to take me, right? So that is my belief, I’m going to play for India,” Parag stated confidently.
Moreover, Parag disclosed his admiration for cricket legend Virat Kohli, revealing how he approaches the star player to improve his game.
“Rather than asking a direct question, I prefer giving a situation. For instance, after a game in Chennai during the IPL, I couldn’t score boundaries and made like 40 of 30 balls. That day, I had an opportunity to talk to Virat bhai (Kohli) and asked him what he would have done in such a situation. Then I got the input and incorporated that in my playing,” he shared during a recent podcast interview.
Acknowledging the challenges of becoming a cricket legend in India, Parag highlighted his efforts to learn from the experiences of seasoned players.
“I try to pick their brains on how they have done what they have done, because being a legend in Indian cricket is very tough; crores of people this game,” he remarked.
With India’s upcoming tour to Zimbabwe following the T20 World Cup, selectors are expected to assemble a young squad, offering Parag a potential opportunity to showcase his talent on the international stage.
