'I can surely play for India in the next year' - Riyan Parag confident of making his debut for India

Riyan Parag, an Assam all-rounder, first made headlines in 2019 when he was acquired by the Indian T20 League franchise Rajasthan for INR 10 lakh. He has since been retained by the franchise every year. The 21-year-old has constantly been under the radar for his rude behaviour and urge to get into tiffs with senior players.

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Nonetheless, the youngster appears to have learned his lessons and applied them effectively, as he batted brilliantly in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022, scoring 552 runs, including three hundred. He now has one goal in mind: to play for India.

"I have been prioritising myself and my opinions about myself. I can surely play for India in the next years so I am just sticking to that and working, working and only working towards that," he told News 18 Cricketnext in an exclusive interview.

There’s a rule book for cricket: Riyan Parag

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Furthermore, he stated that people have misunderstood him because of his celebrations and that he will continue to do so as the sport has become more serious. "There is this thing in India where cricket is supposed to be played in a certain way. There’s a rule book for cricket I feel that only successful players can celebrate and you can do this you can do that. I started the game because I loved it and enjoyed playing the game," he said.

"And that’s how I play my cricket… even if it’s the IPL or school game back home. I am not going to change my way of playing cricket or the way I celebrate. It’s just that I have fun. People nowadays have taken out fun from the game, it’s a very serious game (laughs). I like to play my cricket in a very fun way. That’s not going to change. If people want to change their opinion, they can. Even if they don’t, it doesn’t really matter because I am very content with myself." he added.

Rajasthan has retained Parag, who is one of a select few. Speaking on the subject, he stated that people see his celebrations but don't understand why the Royals team management is so keen on keeping him.

"Everyone talked about how the management backed me but no one really threw light on why they are backing me. That only the team and management know," he concluded.