Young Batter Riyan Parag has opened up on the criticism and hatred he experienced when he was unable to perform for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.
Riyan Parag Reacts to Social Media Troll
Riyan Parag said that he did not deserve to be trolled while he was going through tough times in his career. After a scintillating performance in the recently completed IPL 2024, the Youngster earned a call-up for India for the five-match T20I series. He is currently traveling to Zimbabwe with the India team.
Riyan Parag exploded on the scene after the U19 World Cup 2018 in New Zealand, where India won after beating Australia in the final. He was picked by Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.
Riyan Parag was the third-highest run scorer in IPL 2024, having amassed 573 runs in 16 matches with an average of 52.09 and a strike rate of 149.21 including four half-centuries.
While speaking ahead of the Zimbabwe tour, Riyan Parag opened on the abuse he dealt in his career saying, “It’s not easy. But then again, after last year, I had a chat with myself. And this sort of a comeback is personal, because I had to put up with stuff I didn’t really deserve.”
“Maybe I’ve lacked in preparation, maybe I’ve lacked in a few things, but then I’ve always put my best foot forward. I thought I didn’t deserve all the trolling, but what could I do?
“People are going to say things regardless. Last year they said I wasn’t good enough to play in the IPL. Now they want me in the Indian team. So people change, just like a switch,” said Parag.
He added that constant criticism has been tough on him especially when he was not able to perform well in
“Maturity comes with pain. There are millions watching the IPL. When I don’t perform, I feel terrible. And people add to it. Opinions from fans add to it. Opinions from great players add to it. So I just had to figure out what really mattered.
“Why was I getting so much hate? Why was I getting negative energy from all the people except those from the Royals set-up? I tried to understand my game. And once I started doing that, I got this sudden love for getting into cricket a lot,” Parag concluded.
Coming to the tour, the first match of the T20I series will be played on July 06, Saturday at Harare Sport Club.
