On August 7, star Indian batter Virat Kohli once again pulled off a memorable act by handing over the ODI debut cap to Riyan Parag prior to the start of the third ODI against Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Well, Parag, drafted into the team in place of Arshdeep Singh for this big game, found himself humbled by Kohli’s encouraging words while beginning such an important journey in his cricketing life.
Riyan Parag had made his T20I debut earlier against Zimbabwe on July 6 but did not have much to show as he scored 2 runs off 3 balls before getting dismissed. He played six T20Is before making a foray into ODIs. The Assam boy, 22, who has battled enough to reach here, had clearly been emotional after hearing Kohli’s motivational speech.
One such person whom Parag has looked up to for quite a long time is Virat Kohli, who spared a moment to celebrate Parag’s achievement and to instill some confidence in him. In a video shared by the BCCI, Kohli praises Parag, saying that the team has faith in him.
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“Riyan, firstly, many congratulations on your debut for India. In today’s cricket, we all know beyond performances; people who are responsible for you getting selected would have seen something special in you. So, I had a chat with GG Bhai, the selectors, Rohit, everyone; they see something special in you,” Kohli said.
💬 💬 “You have the ability to be a match-winner for India.”
Virat Kohli to Riyan Parag 🤝#TeamIndia | #SLvIND | @imVkohli | @ParagRiyan pic.twitter.com/JduLjSRCPr
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 7, 2024
He went on about the importance of this moment in Parag’s life, saying, “You have the capacity to be a match-winner for India. I know you have that belief; I’ve known you for a while now, and all of us have that belief in you. There is no better time to step in today with 0-1 down in the series. Start your international career with an impactful presence on the ground—bat, ball, and fielding. I wish you all the very best. Cap 256, Riyan Parag.”
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Now, looking back, Parag has revealed that his dream of turning out for India was earlier deemed impossible. “Coming from Assam, it was far-fetched for a kid like me to make it to this level and play with such greats. It was always a dream for me, and with family support, we turned that dream into a mission,” Parag revealed in a BCCI video.
A day before his Debut 🧢
The moment he was told he will play next day 👌👌
Riyan gave a heartwarming speech inside the dressing room 🤗
All heart 💙 here#TeamIndia | #SLvIND | @ParagRiyan pic.twitter.com/1i8pCiUgNb
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 7, 2024
He also expressed how surreal it was to share the dressing room with players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, whom he grew up idolizing. Parag recounted an emotional moment when he informed his parents of his ODI call-up. “When I got the news, I did a video call with my mom and dad. They were crying, and it was very emotional for me. It feels unreal to be here, practice and share moments with players I’ve looked up to for so long,” Riyan Parag added.
In six T20Is, he has 57 runs with a highest score of 26 and has taken three wickets. He will look for an impactful performance in the ODI format too as he aims to help India avoid defeat in the series versus Sri Lanka.
