'Mohammed Siraj called me and said...' - Riyan Parag breaks silence on verbal duel with Harshal Patel in IPL 2022

Riyan Parag has finally opened up about his heated verbal battle with Royal Challengers Bangalore pacer Harshal Patel during the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Recalling the altercation, Parag said he was instigated by Harshal’s teammate Mohammed Siraj. Later, Harshal joined the duel and fans witnessed some unpleasant scenes on the field. Parag also called Harshal ‘immature’ for not shaking hands with him after the contest.

Notably, the incident occurred after the end of the first innings. Parag had scored a fine half-century and walked back unbeaten at 56. He took Harshal to cleaners in the last over, churning out 18 runs to take the team’s score past the 140-run mark. While nothing as such took place between overs, temper flames between Harshal and Parag after the end of the innings.

Harshal Patel didn’t shake my hand, which I thought was a little immature: Riyan Parag

Parag revealed that he made a hand gesture towards Harshal after smashing him for boundaries as the pacer did the  same after dismissing him in IPL 2021.  “Last year, Harshal Patel had dismissed me when we were playing against RCB. I was walking back. Then, he made a hand gesture telling me to go away. I didn’t see that on the spot. I saw that when I went back to the hotel and saw the replay. It stuck in my mind since,” Parag stated during a gaming stream on Rooter.

“Now, when I hit him (Harshal) in the last over (against RCB in IPL 2022), I did the same gesture. I didn’t say anything, I didn’t abuse. But then, Siraj called me and said, “Hey, come here, come here’. He said, ‘you’re a kid, behave like a kid’,” he added.

“I told him, ‘bhaiya, I’m not saying anything to you’. By then, players from both the teams came and it ended there. Later, Harshal didn’t shake my hand. which I thought was a little immature,” Parag further said. Meanwhile, Parag was RR’s designated finisher in the season and he did a decent job. The youngster scored 183 runs in 14 innings including a half-century.