India vs Zimbabwe T20 Series: Assam’s Riyan Parag Likely To Debut At No 4

Riyan Parag, the swashbuckling all-rounder from Assam, is likely to make his India debut today when a young Indian team takes on Zimbabwe in the first match of the 5-match T20 series at Harare Sports Club at 4:30 PM Indian Standard Time.

Led by Shubhman Gill, the Indian squad includes many young players who performed exceedingly well at the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League.

Parag, who dominated the 2024 edition of the IPL with 573 runs in 16 matches, would look to repeat his IPL performance and hence cement his place in the Indian side.

What would Riyan Parag’s probable role be in the Playing XI?

Parag, who batted at number 4 in IPL, is likely to retain his spot, though the team management has said nothing in particular about his probable position.

If he comes to bat at number 4, then he will join the likes of Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa, Yuvraj Singh, and MS Dhoni, who have batted at position number 4 at some point in their career. In fact, during the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, it was MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh who batted number 4 on a rotational basis.

Earlier, it was reported that Parag might come out to bat at number 3- a position that King Kohli has owned for years. However, Captain Shuhman Gill, on Friday, cleared the air in a press meeting and informed that he and Abhishek Sharma will open the batting for India, while CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad will come down to bat at number 3.

If Parag gets a chance to bat at number 4, then one can expect him to repeat his IPL performance and play some crucial innings for the country.

Batting for Rajasthan Royals at number 4, Riyan not only clobbered the bowlers across the park, but he also anchored the innings when his team was in trouble, and the Men In Blue would expect a repeat of this performance when he goes out to bat in the Indian colours.

Parag is also a decent enough bowler, and if India’s main bowlers are hit around the park, then captain Shubhman Gill is certain to look to Parag, expecting an economical bowling performance from him.

The Assam all-rounder has claimed 41 T20 wickets in 114 T20 games at an average of 30.04 so far.

A billion cricket fans from the region will be eagerly watching Riyan Parag today. They expect him to leave a mark on the biggest stage and inspire several others to dream big.

Also Read : Riyan Parag to don jersey No. 12 in upcoming Zimbabwe tour, once worn by all-rounder Yuvraj Singh