IPL 2019: Nine interesting facts about Riyan Parag, the new kid in the IPL

Riyan Parag was one of the most talked players during the game between the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings. The 17-year-old made his IPL debut for the home team Rajasthan. The youngster fared decently as he scored 16 runs batting at No.7 on a tricky pitch and bowled three overs conceding 24 runs. Riyan thus became only the 2nd player from his state Assam to feature in an IPL game after Abu Nechim Ahmed.

Here are a few interesting and lesser-known facts about the young sensation Riyan Parag:

1. Birth and Playing Style:

Riyan Parag was born on 10th November 2001 in Guwahati. He is a right-handed batsman and a leg-break bowler. He represents his state team Assam in the domestic cricket.

2. Sports Family:

Riyan was born to former first-class cricketer Parag Das and former national swimmer Mithoo Barooah. His father represented Assam and also Railways team in the domestic circuit. Riyan’s mother Mithoo was once a national record holder in the 50m freestyle. She represented India at the Asian Championships and SAF Games.

3. Record in Youth Test cricket:

Riyan made his Youth Test debut on the tour of England in 2017. He struck fifties in both innings of his debut Youth Test match against the England Under-19s. In the second innings, he brought up his fifty off just 33 balls. It is the 2nd fastest recorded fifty in the history of Youth Test cricket. Virat Kohli scored a 32-ball fifty in 2007 against the Sri Lanka Under-19s.

4. Winning the Under-19 CWC:

Riyan was a part of the winning Indian team during the Under-19 CWC hosted by New Zealand in 2018. He batted in the middle-order in 4 matches and scored 17 runs. Moreover, he picked up 3 wickets.

5. Twenty20 debut:

In January 2017, Riyan made his Twenty20 debut for Assam against Jharkhand. He was 15 years and 80 days old on his T20 debut which makes him the 2nd youngest Indian and the 5th youngest cricketer in the Twenty20 history till date. Among Indians, only Rana Kalangutkar (14 years and 168 days in 2007) was younger than Riyan at the time of T20 debut.

6. First-class debut:

At the age of 16 years and 7 days, Riyan made his first-class debut for Assam against Hyderabad in 2017. He thus became the first Indian first-class cricketer to have born in the 21st century.

7. Hitting big sixes:

Riyan Parag stood as the leading run-getter of U19 One-Day challenger tournament in 2017. He scored 207 runs across four innings with a century and two fifties. During a game played at the Brabourne Stadium, he dispatched a delivery from Darshan Nalkande onto the roof on the square sides at the venue.

8. IPL debut:

Riyan was bought for his base price of 10 lakhs at the auction for the 2019 season by the Rajasthan Royals. He was 17 years and 152 days old when he made his IPL debut against the Chennai Super Kings. Riyan thus became the 3rd youngest debutant in the IPL after India’s Prayas Ray Barman (16y 157d) and Afghanistan’s Mujeeb-ur-Rahman (17y 011d).

9. Catching up with big names:

As a 6-year-old, Riyan Parag got a chance to click pictures alongside the likes of MS Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly when they featured in an ODI hosted by Guwahati in 2007 against Pakistan. 12 years later, Riyan bowled to a 37-year-old Dhoni on his IPL debut. He even got a few useful instructions from the veteran keeper after the game.

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