How keeping it simple changed Riyan Parag’s IPL fortunes

Till the start of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL), Riyan Parag was struggling to replicate his domestic success at the IPL level. It led to incessant trolls, commentators pulling him down and even a few questions about the franchise’s move to keep their trust in the all-rounder. 

However, everything changed when Riyan was promoted to No.4, a position that he holds his fort at the domestic level, coming in the IPL on the back of seven consecutive half-centuries. So, what’s his mantra for success? 

Simple: watch the ball, hit the ball. 

"Nothing (different from previous years), to be honest," Parag told the broadcasters. 

"Actually I have simplified everything instead of trying to do a lot of things. Before when I was not getting runs, I would think about it too much, try and do different stuff altogether, and then it would not work out. This year the goal was to keep it simple - watch the ball and hit the ball,” he added. 

Since the start of the season, Riyan has had to walk out with immense pressure at No.4, given how Rajasthan’s successful opening pair has faltered this season. But none of that deterred the youngster, who continues to grow in vigour. 

The all-rounder insisted that he is used to calculating how to bat in such situations, having done it time and again for Assam at the domestic level. 

"I have said it before, when I play domestic (cricket) this is the exact type of situation I go in to bat. When Jos [Buttler] bhai got out, and Ash [R Ashwin] bhai got out a little after, I was like, 'okay, this is what I do. This is what I've been doing for the last six months playing domestic cricket'. So it was pretty simple to calculate everything," he said.

"I tried finding what was wrong and I figured out that I was not practising at this level enough. So I went back after the (2023) season and practised very hard. And I think that's showing now. I practised these types of balls, these types of scenarios a lot. Hence the performances."

Despite his lukewarm success over the years, the Royals have continued to show their faith and invest in the talent. They are now reaping the rewards, with Riyan topping the run-scoring chart, alongside his idol, Virat Kohli, scoring 181 runs in three innings, with just one dismissal in the season. 

"I've had three-four years of not performing at all, or even performing if it's one match a season. You really go back to the hotel room and think to yourself that when you know you can do something and it's not coming, the performances are not coming, you get back to the drawing board.”

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