Riyan Parag etches Assam’s name in India’s cricketing history, a look at his career graph so far

During the 2019 Indian Premier League, he became the youngest cricketer to score a fifty in the history of the Indian Premier League at the age of 17 years and

Assam’s name will forever be etched in the nation’s cricketing history, thanks to Riyan Parag who has become the first cricketer from the state and from entire Northeast, to book a berth in the senior Team India squad.

After a dashing performance in the IPL this year, Riyan earned his maiden Team India call as he has been selected in the national team for the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe scheduled from July 6–14.

A look at Riyan’s career :

Riyan first found the oppurtunity to play for India in the U19 Challenger trophy(2017), and became the highest run-getter in that tournament.

In December 2017, he was named in India’s squad for the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.

A new sensation in Indian cricket now, Riyan then too had exhibited exceptional skills and tactics against his opponents. In that tour, he played alongside Shubman Gill, and Prithvi Shaw, among others.

Riyan had scored three fifties in four innings in the four-dayers. He finished the two youth Tests in England as India’s second-highest run-getter, after Prithvi Shaw.

His twin fifties in the first-game – including a 33-ball half-century, the second-fastest after Virat Kohli in recorded youth Tests, helped India set up a declaration and paved way for a 334-run victory in Chesterfield. In the second Test, he made a half-century in India’s quest for quick runs, strung a 131-run stand with Shubman Gill for the fourth wicket and set up a 2–0 series win.

Prior to the tour, he finished a bumper season, in which he was the second-highest run-getter in the 2016-17 Cooch Behar Trophy, India’s national four-day tournament for U-19 players, with 642 runs in 14 innings and a best of 202 not out.

Following this, Riyan forayed into the Indian Premier League (IPL).

In December 2018, he was bought by the Rajasthan Royals in the player auction for the 2019 Indian Premier League at his base price of 20 lakhs.

During the 2019 Indian Premier League, he became the youngest cricketer to score a fifty in the history of the Indian Premier League at the age of 17 years and 175 days.

He did so by breaking the previous record of 18 years and 169 days, jointly held by Sanju Samson and Prithvi Shaw.

In the 2022-23 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he was the highest run-getter for Assam and overall the fifth highest across sides in the season, with 552 runs at an average of 69 with three tons and one fifty.

In the 2023 Deodhar Trophy, he was adjudged the Player of the Series for being the highest run-getter, highest six-hitter and third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament.

Riyan continued with his impressive form further and became the highest run -getter and highest six hitter with 510 runs and 40 sixes respectively in the 2023–24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

In the same season ,Riyan Parag struck consecutive first-class centuries against Chattisgarh and Kerala. He scored a total of 378 runs in 2023-24 Ranji Trophy in 6 innings at a batting average of 75.60 and a strike rate of 113.85, along with again becoming the highest six hitter of the tournament with 20 sixes in elite category.

Riyan Parag was the highest run scorer for Rajasthan Royals, in the IPL 2024 season and overall the third highest on the run scoring charts. He scored 573 runs.

Riyan hails from a sports family background. His father, Parag Das, is a former first-class cricketer, and his mother, Mithoo Barooah, is a former national record-holding swimmer in 50m freestyle who represented India at the Asian Championships and SAF Games.

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