"BCCI selectors will..." - Riyan Parag, Abhishek Sharma's future with Team India decided as ex-India coach makes colossal remark

The way things have unfolded in recent days, it is very clear that both Riyan Parag and Abhishek Sharma feature prominently in the Indian selectors' plan for the future.

Both the youngsters earned their maiden call-up for the five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe last month. The selectors rewarded the young batters after they enjoyed a breakthrough season in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL). Both Riyan Parag and Abhishek Sharma were two of the best batters in IPL 2024 as they helped their teams advance ahead of the league stage.

Abhishek Sharma impressed one and all with his power-hitting and finished the tournament with the most sixes. In 16 games, he smashed 484 runs at a strike rate of over 204 with the help of 36 fours and a record 42 sixes. He played a key role in Sunrisers Hyderabad's march to the final.

On the other hand, Riyan Parag enjoyed Rajasthan Royals qualifying for the playoffs. The right-handed batsman finished the season as the third-highest run-score, scoring a career-best 573 runs in 16 games with the help of 4 half-centuries.

'Riyan Parag and Abhishek Sharma will be given more chances'- R Sridhar

With both Riyan Parag and Abhishek Sharma breaking into the Indian team, former India fielding coach R Sridhar believes the youngsters will be given more chances in the coming days. However, he also pointed out that they are unlikely to play too many ODIs in the near future before saying that they would be given ample chances in T20Is.

"Of course, they will be given more chances. The BCCI selectors will pick and choose the series and they will be given chances. I think they will be playing a lot more in T20Is in future, with the Champions Trophy coming up in 6-7 months time and not many ODI matches left. Surely they will get an opportunity to play ODI cricket," R Sridhar told Hindustan Times.

"But definitely the likes of Abhishek and Riyan will be playing a lot of A team cricket and a lot of domestic matches. The selectors will give them opportunities to play international cricket so that they are more ready, more prepared when they become a full-time player for the Indian team," he added.

Meanwhile, Parag managed to retain his spot in the T20I side and also earned his maiden ODI call-up for the ongoing tour of Sri Lanka. On the other hand, Sharma was dropped from the T20I side even after scoring a stunning century in Zimbabwe.