Reports: Riyan Parag to earn his maiden India call-up after Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy heroics

Assam allrounder Riyan Parag has been having a dream run in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2023 as he’s the leading run-scorer of the tournament so far with 510 runs to his name. The 21-year-old is averaging 85 with the bat having scored seven fifties in the tournament at a strike rate of 182.79.

Parag’s exceptional performance is likely to clear his path towards the Indian team as according to reports, he’s likely to earn his maiden call-up to the side in the upcoming T20I series against Australia beginning from November 23. Apart from his batting heroics, Parag has also scalped 11 wickets from ten matches at an average of 24.54 and an economy of 7.29.

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"Parag has been performing consistently in domestic cricket this season. It's hard to ignore his all-round performances. To add to his worth, he's also an excellent fielder," a source was quoted as saying by Times of India.

According to TOI, the selectors will rest most of the players who are playing in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 for the Australia series and are likely to select youngsters who won the gold medal for India in the recently concluded Asian Games. To further make a strong case for his selection, Parag was also the leading run-scorer of the Deodhar Trophy having amassed 354 runs in five games at an average of 88.50 and a strike rate of 136.67 with two hundreds and one fifty.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to also mark his return after one year

Apart from him, the report further suggests that veteran Indian seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar is also likely to mark his return in the upcoming series. With all the senior bowlers rested, Bhuvneshwar is likely to lead the Indian pace attack against Australia. The 33-year-old last played for India during a T20I against New Zealand in November 2022.

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In SMAT 2023, he scalped 16 wickets from seven innings at an average of 9.31 and an economy of 5.84. The 33-year-old has 90 wickets in T20Is and will play a crucial role in the young squad of the upcoming series.