Harshit Rana

NEW DELHI: To some, it might appear as extreme arrogance, but when Riyan Parag looks you in the eye and declares, “I am going to play for India no matter what,” it’s a testament to his immense self-belief in his own skill set and abilities.“At some point, you’ll have to take me, right? So that is my belief, I’m going to play for India. I don’t really care when,” Parag stated confidently during his exclusive interaction with PTI on Wednesday.No youngster has polarized opinions as quickly as the 22-year-old from Assam, who had a breakout IPL season, amassing 573 runs at a strike rate close to 150 while batting at No.4 for the Rajasthan Royals.In his previous five years in the IPL, Riyan, a 2018 U-19 World Cup winner, never even reached a 200-run season. He faced harsh criticism on social media as he transitioned from boyhood to manhood.“When I was not scoring runs – I said this in an earlier interview as well – that I am going to play for India,” Parag reiterated on the sidelines of a Red Bull Campus Cricket tournament in Mumbai on Wednesday, a tournament he praised for giving exposure to talented youngsters.“That is me believing in myself. That is not me being arrogant. That was my plan with my dad (former Railways and Assam player Parag Das) when I started playing cricket at around 10 years old. We (a joint project) were going to play for India regardless of anything.”Riyan, Abhishek Sharma, and Harshit Rana have a high likelihood of being selected for the upcoming cricket tour in Zimbabwe.“Whether it’s the next tour, whether it’s a tour in six months, whether it’s a tour in one year… I don’t really put my thought behind when I should play. That is the selector’s job, that is other people’s job,” Riyan said.Having learned the hard way about the downsides of social media, he has stopped taking things to heart.“You’ve got to be very quick and very sharp when reacting to things. Social media and all of that play a big part with mental pressure. Because once you start listening to those things… it always starts in a merry way, right?,” he asked.“Once you start performing, people really hype you up. Once you start reading that, you get that satisfaction of listening to other people or watching other things.”This year’s IPL served as a testament to his belonging at the elite level.“But what I’ve figured out in the last year or two is that I’ve got to have an undeniable stack of proof that I belong at this level. Which means (that) me practising a lot, me practising at that level, practicing those situations,” Parag said.What has been his biggest takeaway from the season.“The biggest thing that I’ve taken away from the last season is that believing in yourself actually works out, because a lot of people say a lot of different things, whether it’s negative, whether it’s positive. But at the end of the day, what matters is what you think about yourself and that is what I’ve been for,” he said.Since his debut season with the Rajasthan Royals in 2018, Riyan’s performance over the past five seasons has been disappointing, with his totals reading 160, 86, 93, 183, and 78.“I had a lot of rough seasons, more than (the) nice ones and I feel having that constant belief in yourself, that you actually belong in this level, that you can actually do things that you (had) dreamt of, has been a constant and that will stay throughout.”“What you saw this year in the IPL is how I play domestic cricket. I take the onus up to myself, I take the expectations, I take the burden upon myself to deliver and that is why I play the best,” he said.So what changed from previous years?“I was not doing that in the IPL. I was taking way too much pressure, keeping my expectations way too high and not doing the basic things right.”Additionally, playing at a crucial No. 4 slot for RR also worked.“That is what I figured (that) I had to do this year; of playing at my favourite position as well, No 4 . I was like, okay, “I do this at domestic cricket, this is the same thing I’m going to do in IPL and let’s see how it goes”. It worked out perfectly,” he said.During a substantial period in this IPL season, RR enjoyed a commendable streak, only to see their momentum wane as they reached the playoffs, ultimately securing the third position. Parag conceded that there’s still a tinge of disappointment hanging in the air.“”I’m still dealing with it. I got back home and I was super sad. The night after the game, it didn’t really sink in. But then the day after the match, and before the final, it was tough,” he said.“It’s tough, but then that’s how cricket goes. There are world-class sides that are playing the tournament, world-class players that are playing the tournament,” Parag added.(With PTI inputs)