DC vs RR: “Do you know why they troll you?” Riyan’s father asked him before Rajathan Royals first Match .
Before the Rajasthan Royals’ opening match of the tournament against the Lucknow Super Giants, Parag Das gave his son Riyan a call and asked him “Do you know why they troll you?” Riyan answered “Dad there is expectation, people want me to succeed, and that’s why I am at the receiving end. The day I will start scoring consistently, these trolls will sing my name.”
That day, Parag Das, a former first-class cricketer, believed things would change for his son in this year’s Indian Premier League.
In the first match, Riyan Parag scored a 29-ball 43 against Lucknow. But the pressure-releasing knock from the youngster came on Thursday against Delhi Capitals when he walloped an unbeaten 84 off 45 deliveries, and it came at a moment when Royals were reeling at 36 for 3 with their explosive top three back in the hut.
“It’s the fruit of a lot of practice. I’m a little emotional. I’m witnessing the result of my hard work,” Riyan Parag told the broadcaster during the mid-innings break.
Riyan is only 22. He has yet to feature for the country, and has not been on the fringes of national selection either. Yet he is among the most trolled cricketers in the country, especially during the IPL. Whether his talent is good enough to strike it big, or he’s just hype, has tended to divide opinion.
“The kind of trolling, criticism, and abuse he has received on social media is cruel. Me and my wife (Mithu Baruah), both are athletes. I have played cricket, she has been a national-level swimmer and we know how tough most of the time, sports can be. This is where he has got this attitude,” said Parag Das.
During the post-match presentation, a visibly emotional Parag credited his mother’s support during his struggle and also opened up about why his opinion of himself never changed throughout these years. He said: “Emotions are settled. Mom’s here as well. She’s seen the struggle, she’s seen the last four or five years.
“I know what my opinion is about myself. No matter what anyone says, I don’t let that change. That has never changed regardless of whether I’m performing or not performing. That constant support from myself to myself always helps.”
The post DC vs RR: “Do you know why they troll you?” Riyan’s father asked him before Rajathan Royals first Match . appeared first on Cricket Country.