After the game, Parag revealed how head coach Gautam Gambhir prepared him for different situations in the match.
When you have Riyan Parag out in the middle and Gautam Gambhir in the dugout, the chances of getting an Instagram-worthy moment are very, very high. The player-coach relationship did not disappoint at all. Notably, Riyan Parag and Gautam Gambhir were at their emotive best during the first T20I game against Sri Lanka, which took place on July 27 at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy, and that began a new era in Indian T20I cricket.
However, one must credit the tactics of India’s new T20I skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, who decided to spring into surprise by throwing the ball to Riya Parag, since Sri Lanka were in need of 56 runs from 24 balls. The home team still had six wickets in their hand and needed a net run rate of 14 runs, which seems a bit tough but surely not out of the realm on a batting paradise surface. Spin was probably the way to go forward in the game. But Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi weren’t given the nod. Who does SKY turn to in this tense situation? Riyan Parag, of course. The young cricketer got three wickets in just eight balls to win the game.
Also Read: Suryakumar Yadav matches Virat Kohli’s record with spectacular knock on captaincy debut
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 🎯@ParagRiyan delivered when #TeamIndia needed him the most 😍#SonySportsNetwork #SLvIND pic.twitter.com/mKmpaQ5pLp
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) July 27, 2024
In the same vein, Riyan Parag opened up his mantra behind his mystery bowling spell and highlighted that he had talks for such a scenario with head coach Gautam Gambhir. The 22-year-old cricketer revealed that he loves bowling as well as batting in the middle of the game. The Rajasthan Royals batter further said that he had a few conversations and discussions regarding his bowling with the newly appointed head coach, Gautam Gambhir, ahead of the game.
Also Read: Ashish Nehra’s hilarious banter with Yashasvi Jaiswal
Watch the full video here:
🎥 Showcasing some of #TeamIndia‘s stars from first T20I 🙌#SLvIND | @surya_14kumar | @akshar2026 | @ParagRiyan pic.twitter.com/LRG1ZiIiQa
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 28, 2024
“I love bowling. I bowl as much as I can behind the scenes. At the nets, there was a lot of communication regarding where to bowl and how to bowl. There were preparations for such situations with Gautam sir. If I get bowling in the 16th and the 17th over and the wicket is spinning, then where I have to bowl. The boys made it easier for me, I just had to bowl stump to stump, and the ball was turning as well,” Parag said in the video.
Meanwhile, captain SKY also hailed Riyan Parag for his great spells as the star spinner spun his web to dismiss Charith Asalanka and his men in the thrilling series opener and derail their run chase to take a 1-0 lead. Sri Lanka were once dominating in the run chase as they stood at 140/1 till the 14th over. However, during the chase, the home team lost momentum and fell short of 43 runs.
Also Read: Rishabh Pant’s bat goes flying alongside ball during first T20I against Sri Lanka
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram and YouTube