Assam’s Riyan Parag becomes youngest batsman to score 50 in IPL

New Delhi: Assam heartthrob Riyan Parag has become the youngest cricketer to score 50 runs in Indian Premier League (IPL) when he hit Trent Boult for a six in the 20th over of the match between Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals played at Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi on Saturday.

Seventeen-year-old Riyan struck two maximums and four fours to reach 50 off 49 before holing out to Sherfane Rutherford off the last ball of Rajasthan’s innings.

Before Parag, Rajasthan team-mate Sanju Samson held the record for the youngest batsman to maiden an IPL 50. Samson achieved the feat when he was 18 years old.

Hailing from Assam, Parag is one of the most promising cricketers in this year’s IPL and was a part of the India Under-19 side for the two youth Tests in England. He was India’s second highest run-getter behind Parthiv Shaw in the youth Tests and played a crucial role during India’s win in Chesterfield.

In October 2017, Parag was named in India’s squad for the 2017 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup. He made his first-class debut for Assam in the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy against Hyderabad and has one fifty to his credit.

In the 2016-17 Cooch Behar Trophy, Parag scored 642 runs in 14 innings with a best score of an unbeaten 202.

With his splendid performance during the ongoing session of the IPL, Riyan proudly showcased his culture and won further love and earned more respect from Assam and indeed the rest of the country.

Riyan is grounded despite the instant fame. He said he was grateful to God for this opportunity and happy to share the field with MS Dhoni.

“I’m just grateful to God. I have been idolising him for such a long time. I had a picture with him when I was six or seven years old. And then bowling to him, sharing the field with him, even batting while he was wicket-keeping behind me was just surreal,” he was quoted as saying by media reports.

“I haven’t told him about the picture of me as a kid with him. I took another one after the game though. My dad (Parag Das) has played with him so he can maybe recognise me,” Parag told media.

Dhoni had made his first-class debut as early as in 1999-2000 season of Ranji Trophy for Bihar. In Bihar’s East Zone League match against Assam, Dhoni had stumped Parag Das, a former first-class cricketer who played as an opener for Assam.

Almost 20 years down the line, Dhoni caught Riyan Parag, the 17-year-old cricketer who plays for Rajasthan Royals. Parag is the latest sensation in Indian Premier League. The teenager had made his debut for RR against Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings on April 11 this year.