IPL 2020 Was The Lowest Point Of My Career: Riyan Parag

Rajasthan Royals youngster Riyan Parag has revealed that IPL 2020 was the lowest point of his career. Only 21, Riyan Parag is yet to play international cricket but has managed to hog the limelight every now and then.

On most occasions, he makes it to the news after being heavily trolled or criticized. He became a household name in 2019 when he made his debut in the IPL as a 17-year-old. The teenager from Assam left the cricketing fraternity stunned with his batting talent. During the same season, he became the youngest cricketer to score a fifty in IPL history.

Riyan Parag received adulation and praise from all over for his remarkable display at such a young age. But it did not take him long to realize that criticism comes as fast as praise for a cricketer, especially in India. The highly-rated batsman endured a terrible outing in IPL 2023, managing just 86 runs in 12 outings, and was severely criticized.

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Riyan Parag opens up on the lowest point of his career:

Riyan Parag faced heavy criticism during this year’s IPL too where he constantly struggled with the bat. He played only 7 games during IPL 2023 and scored a modest 78 runs. But while he was heavily criticized during IPL 2023, Riyan Parag has revealed that IPL 2020 was the lowest point in his career.

“I can be macho and tell you that none of that bothers me (the criticism). But then I have learnt it the hard way that I should keep these things to me. 2020 IPL was the lowest point of my career. I had a great season in 2019. I was just 17 and I expressed myself and I had the best season and I was on top of the world,” Riyan Parag told Cricket.com.

“The media made me feel like I was the king of the world. The next day when I did not perform, the people that were praising me, they just flipped. I was in Dubai and we were in quarantine, I would think to myself, ‘what even am I doing’? I would question everything. ‘Why am I being trolled on social media?’ The same dances that I would do before people were hating on it now,” he further added.

Meanwhile, Riyan Parag has managed to shut down his critics by doing extremely well in the recently-concluded Deodhar Trophy. He was the highest run-scorer, highest six-hitter, joint third-highest wicket-taker, and Player of the Tournament in the inter-zonal competition. The 21-year-old hit two centuries and missed out on the third by just 5 runs in the final where he scored 95 off just 65 balls.