IND vs IRE: "People forget that in a jiffy..." - Riyan Parag comes out in support of Hardik Pandya amid criticism

Rajasthan Royals (RR) all-rounder Riyan Parag praised India vice-captain Hardik Pandya ahead of the Men in Blue's first match in the T20 World Cup 2024. Riyan Parag mentioned that he is not in a position to offer advice to Hardik Pandya during this challenging period of his cricketing career.

Hardik Pandya was appointed as captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). Pandya replaced Rohit Sharma, who led the Mumbai team to five titles in the history of the IPL. However, the MI fans didn't welcome the decision and expressed disappointment on social media handles.

The 30-year-old all-rounder received booing throughout the IPL 2024 season, including at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Pandya also faced trolling due to the team's performance in the recent season. MI became the first team to be eliminated and ended with just four wins out of 14 matches in the league stage.

Am Nowhere Near Hardik Pandya - Riyan Parag

On The Ranveer Show podcast, Riyan Parag stated that he couldn't offer advice to Hardik Pandya because Pandya has already made significant contributions to Indian cricket. Parag, who faced criticism for his lack of performance in the past, said that he couldn't even compare himself to Hardik.

"I am nowhere near Hardik Pandya, first of all. Hardik has done insane things for our country. People forget that in a jiffy. Hardik has won you games in the World Cup and has won you trophies, so let's not even compare me and Hardik," Riyan Parag said.

Hardik Pandya's performance in the IPL 2024 season was affected by the criticism he received from fans. The right-handed batter scored only 216 runs at a disappointing average of 18, and a strike rate of 143.05. He also picked up 11 wickets but at an expensive economy rate of 10.75 in the marquee tournament.

One Of The Best Cricketers In The World - Riyan Parag

Riyan Parag scored an unbeaten 54 runs off just 39 balls, with the help of five boundaries and three sixes for the Rajasthan Royals against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. The young all-rounder helped the team chase down the 126-run target with four wickets and 27 balls to spare.

After the match, Riyan Parag was seen conversing with Hardik Pandya. Parag revealed that they talked about how to handle scrutiny, and how he should manage it if he were in a similar situation. The 22-year-old cricketer described the MI skipper as "one of the best cricketers in the world right now."

"All I was talking with him (Hardik) was how he was dealing with it (scrutiny), how I should be dealing with it if I was in a similar situation and basic cricket in general. That's all I was talking about. He is one of the best cricketers in the world right now," Parag added..

Hardik Pandya played a quickfire cameo of 40 runs off 23 balls in India's T20 World Cup warm-up match against Bangladesh. His return to form could significantly influence India's prospects in their quest to win the T20 World Cup title after 17 years.

Also read: IND vs IRE: 'Members of team would have...' - Ian Bishop's huge claim on Hardik Pandya ahead of India's T20 WC opener