(July 26), In the ODI and T20I squads for the series against Sri Lanka, Riyan Parag was included.
Suryakumar Yadav’s selection as India’s T20I captain was one of the biggest talking points among the major surprises in the team’s lineups for the tour of Sri Lanka. Despite Hardik Pandya being India’s vice-captain during the T20 World Cup last month, Suryakumar was named the captain; the all-rounder was anticipated to be elevated to the position after Rohit Sharma retired from the format following the tournament victory.
The decision to give Riyan Parag his first ODI call-up was another significant one in the squad selection. The Assam batsman made his debut for India during the team’s tour of Zimbabwe earlier this month. Despite having a quiet series in which he batted just twice in five games, Parag was still selected for the Twenty20 Internationals. A lot of people were surprised by the decision, especially since Ruturaj Gaikwad and Abhishek Sharma, two of Zimbabwe’s top performers, were left off.
The reason Parag might have been selected again for the national team has now been made public by a Times of India report. According to the report, Tilak Varma, another young player who made his India debut last year, is presently injured, which played a role in the batter’s selection. Tilak has been a reliable player for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League for the last three years, sharing the field with Suryakumar Yadav.
“Parag is a very gifted player who has raised his level of attitude toward the game. Right now, he wants to remain at the wicket. He is a great fielder and can bowl fairly well, which increases his value. The source informed the newspaper that the selectors wished to develop him for the future.
“At the end of the game, he can bowl slower balls, yorkers, and other variations.” He’s therefore a solid choice for white-ball cricket,” the source continued.
On Friday, the opening Twenty20 International (T20I) of the three-match series between India and Sri Lanka will commence, coinciding with Gautam Gambir’s appointment as the team’s head coach. Prior to the three-match ODI series in the island nation, India’s two batting heavyweights, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, will report to camp.
