With selectors including five uncapped players for the upcoming Zimbabwe tour, one of which is Riyan Parag, netizens have shown their ecstasy as he becomes the first male cricketer to be chosen to play cricket for India. The former chief minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal also sent his best wishes to Parag and thinks it's a matter of great pride for the state.
Parag put himself in the reckoning for an India call-up after a sensational performance for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2024. The youngster finished as the tournament's 3rd highest run-getter with 573 runs in 16 matches at 52.09 with a handful of match-winning batting performances. He also bowls with a round-arm action which will be handy in Zimbabwe.
While Parag had been on the radar since his debut IPL season in 2019, it is only in 2024 that he seemed to have come of age.
The current Chief minister of Assam Himanta Biswas Sarma also poured his wishes, claiming that it's a watershed moment for Assam.
"Riyan Parag. This is the best news of the day! Our very own Assam boy becomes the first cricketer from the North East to join the 'Men in Blue' club. Dear Riyan, many congratulations for becoming a part of Team India’s T20 International series against Zimbabwe. This is a watershed moment for sports in Assam. We will leave no stone unturned to ensure several more youngsters from our State can take up sports as a full-time profession."
India squad: Ꮪhubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Nitish Reddy, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande.
Here's how the netizens have reacted to Riyan Parag's inclusion:
