Watch: Riyan Parag receives maiden ODI cap from his idol Virat Kohli in a dream come true moment
Published - 07 Aug 2024, 02:30 PM | Updated - 24 Aug 2024, 07:31 AM
Riyan Parag, on Wednesday, made his debut in One-Day Internationals as he was included in India's Playing XI for the ongoing third and final game against Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
The youngster earned his maiden India call-up a few weeks ago and made his debut in international cricket during the five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe. He earned the call-up after enjoying a breakthrough season in this year's IPL. The right-handed batsman finished the season as the third-highest run-scorer, scoring 573 runs in 14 innings with the help of 4 half-centuries.
Riyan Parag could not make a big impact against Zimbabwe but managed to retain his spot in the T20I side for the series against Sri Lanka. He was also included in the ODI squad. The Assam star played in all three T20Is but could not find a place in the playing eleven for the first two games of the ongoing ODI series.
However, he was included in the playing eleven on Wednesday as India made a couple of changes for the do-or-die clash. What made the occasion even more memorable for Riyan Parag was that he received his first ODI cap from his idol Virat Kohli. The former India skipper handed the cap to his younger teammate just before the start of the game.
Watch as Riyan Parag receives his maiden ODI cap from Virat Kohli:
— Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka (@Hanji_CricDekho) August 7, 2024
Welcome to ODI cricket, Riyan Parag 👏👏
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 7, 2024
He receives his 🧢 from Virat Kohli 👌👌
Follow the Match ▶️ https://t.co/Lu9YkAmnek#TeamIndia | #SLvIND | @ParagRiyan | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/TdsQYGkCbw
Meanwhile, India have also recalled Rishabh Pant to the playing eleven for the final game of the series. KL Rahul and Arshdeep Singh have made way for Parag and Pant. The wicketkeeper-batsman will be playing an ODI match for the first time since November 2022.
"Plenty to play for, we've been challenged in the last two matches. It's clear as to what we need to do with the bat and ball. We've addressed it - what we need to do as a group," Rohit Sharma said at the toss.
"You got to give credit to the opposition, they played well and understood the position well. Another opportunity for us to correct. Two changes. We have Rishabh and Riyan Parag in place of KL and Arshdeep," he added.
India will have to win the ongoing game to level the series. The hosts are currently leading the series 1-0.
