He last played for India in October 2024.
Team India announced their men’s squad for the white-ball tour of Australia, which is set to begin on October 19. The selection committee took quite a few big calls, including handing over the ODI captaincy to Shubman Gill. There were a few notable omissions from the squad, none more surprising than Riyan Parag.
The Assam all-rounder was overlooked for Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy. The team management has its favourites, but Parag not making either of the squads was perplexing. The Men in Blue are slated to play three ODIs and five T20Is on the tour.
Riyan Parag has played one ODI for India and nine T20Is. He hasn’t been a part of any Indian squad for almost a year. It is quite unfortunate, as he has been performing better than the options he has been ignored for.
Speaking of his List A exploits, he scored three back-to-back fifties in the middle order in the recent series against Australia A. He struck 187 runs from three innings at a strike rate of 123. In the second game, India A were reeling at 17 for three when he walked in and hit 58 off 54.
Overall, he has amassed over 1,900 runs in the fifty-over format at an average of 42 while striking at 104. The off-spin all-rounder has taken 53 wickets at an economy of 4.98.
In comparison, the other two all-rounders are nowhere near Parag in batting quality. Sundar has played 23 ODIs and averages only 23 with the bat. His overall List A numbers aren’t great either, averaging just about 21. He is a better bowler than Parag, but with Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel already there, India do not need a spinner who can bat.
Nitish Kumar Reddy’s case is a bit different. He is a pace all-rounder and the team management rates him highly. There is a high ceiling, no doubt, but he is not a finished product in either of the white-ball formats. Not to mention, the chances of him actually featuring in the playing XI when Hardik Pandya is fit are little to none.
Parag is one of the best hitters of pace bowling in the country and is naturally aggressive. He has also shown the ability to do well in tricky situations. Having someone like him in the middle order in ODIs would make India a much stronger side, especially considering the South African conditions for the next ODI World Cup.
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Talking about the T20 World Cup 2026, which is set to take place in India and Sri Lanka early next year, Riyan Parag will offer more value to the side than the other two.
Just going by their performance since the beginning of last year, it is crystal clear that Parag is a much better player. Sundar may be a better bowler, but India will have Kuldeep, Axar, and Varun Chakravarthy in the playing XI in home conditions.
| Player | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riyan Parag | 39 | 1072 | 36.96 | 155.36 | 7 | 7.92 |
| Washington Sundar | 22 | 219 | 21.90 | 129.58 | 20 | 7.79 |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | 30 | 575 | 30.26 | 138.55 | 8 | 9.97 |
Parag has been magnificent in the shorter format in recent times. Since 2024, he is averaging nearly 37 at a strike rate of 155. He had a slightly poor IPL 2025 season, and yet he managed nearly 400 runs at a strike rate of 166. The Rajasthan Royals star has the ability to bat anywhere in the batting order.
Moreover, India’s current lower middle-order batters have a weakness against hard lengths. Parag, on the other hand, is one of the best in the business. He is only 23 years old, and his potential is high. The team management needs to give him more time in international cricket to prove his mettle. They have a white-ball superstar in Parag, and the sooner they realise it, the better.
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