"He's a very wrongly perceived cricketer" - Dinesh Karthik hails Riyan Parag's attitude and backs him to be India's next superstar

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter and cricket expert, Dinesh Karthik, has showered rich praise on the young gun Riyan Parag with an indirect dig at the Assam all-rounder’s critics. Parag recently won the T20I series in Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka with the Indian cricket team.

Parag has been dubbed the game-changer India has been eagerly searching for. This promising all-rounder is known for his explosive batting with useful leg-spin bowling. He has been quickly becoming the talk of the town after his stunning IPL 2024 season with the Rajasthan Royals (RR).

Dinesh Karthik hails Riyan Parag, says critics underestimating the young star

Parag’s performance in the IPL 2024 was nothing short of spectacular, catching the eye with his aggressive and explosive approach with the bat. However, the youngster is yet to make a significant impact for Team India, as he could manage only 57 runs in his 4 outings from 6 T20Is.

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However, Parag's skill in spinning the ball away from both right-handed and left-handed batters with his variety of sliders and cutters impressed many during the recent three-match T20I series in Sri Lanka. Notably, he had bowled one over for five runs against Zimbabwe and got three wickets in eight balls to close out the second T20I against Sri Lanka in Kandy.

The RR star’s ability to offer balance to the team with his versatile skills could make him a vital asset for the Indian cricket team, and now Karthik has lauded Parag’s exceptional skills and work ethic, saying he’s a cricketer whose true value might be underappreciated by the people.

I don't want to put undue pressure on Riyan Parag: Dinesh Karthik

Karthik said that he doesn’t want to put Parag under pressure by labeling him the next big thing, but still, he asserted that the 22-year-old looks like a special player for Team India. Praising the Assam lad’s attitude and mindset, the former Indian wicketkeeper said that Parag and Tilak Varma could be very special players for Indian cricket in the coming years.

Dinesh Karthik was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz: “Look, I don't want to put undue pressure on him. I've really enjoyed watching him go about doing things the way he does it in Indian cricket, in IPL. I think he's a very wrongly perceived cricketer. I know, as I said, he looks a special cricketer.”

Karthik signed off by saying, “A lot of good things to come from him. He's got a great attitude, a great mindset, a very good work ethic, and he's dominant. And he's contributing with the ball. Riyan Parag and Tilak Varma, I feel, can be very special players for Indian cricket.”

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Earlier, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan hailed Parag for his remarkable bowling efforts against Sri Lanka and predicted that the young player would get more chances in the team due to his bowling.

You will see Riyan Parag getting many chances due to his bowling ability. As a top-order batsman, not many in the country have the ability to roll their arm over. This is where Riyan Parag will get an extra advantage, and rightly so.

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