It was surreal, says Riyan Parag's father after his son bowled to MS Dhoni

Riyan Parag has been one of the shining lights for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) this year. Not many knew him before the all-rounder played against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and his childhood photo with MS Dhoni started going viral. He had met the former India captain at the age of three in Guwahati and this season played against him which was a dream come true for Riyan.

He is the first 21st century-born cricketer playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and has certainly punched above his weight. Riyan Parag’s first notable performance came against the Mumbai Indians (MI) when he scored 43 off 29 balls in the chase. He also played a match-winning knock the other day against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) (47 off 31) when the likes of Steve Smith and Ben Stokes were already back in the hut.

The 17-year-old is definitely one of the future stars to watch out for and his father Parag Das has recalled his childhood memories while speaking to Deccan Chronicle. He also went on to say that it was a dreamlike experience to watch his son bowl to Dhoni. “It was surreal to see him bowl to Dhoni,”  he said.

Parag met Dhoni in Guwahati

Talking about Riyan Parag meeting MS Dhoni in 2005, Parag Das recalled that the Indian team had arrived in Guwahati to play an ODI and the match was washed due to rain after which the players were having fun. “The photo was taken by Riyan’s mom. When the Indian team came to Guwahati for a match, but it was abandoned due to rain. Indian players went to shooting range for fun and at that time this photo was clicked,” Riyan’s father added.

Riyan Parag has shot to the limelight with his performances so far in the tournament this year. After playing four matches, he has scored 110 runs at a strike-rate of close to 143 and has picked a wicket as well with the ball. The Royals will need this kid to perform consistently in order to stay in the hunt for playoffs as their overseas players will be leaving now.

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