By Monojit Mandal
SHILLONG: Riyan Parag from Assam has been prodigious since his debut in the last edition of Indian Premier League and has earned praise from all corners when he became the youngest batsman to score fifty in IPL, overtaking the likes of Sanju Samson and Prithvi Shaw.
Such is the aura of the young all-rounder Parag that even his Rajasthan Royals captain Steve Smith had labelled him an exciting young talent and predicted a bright future for the cricketer ahead. Even, Robin Uthappa in a recent interview termed him as the predecessor to the bequest of MS Dhoni.
In an exclusive interview with The Shillong Times, the young prodigy Riyan Parag, shared his thoughts on the impact of COVID-19 on cricket, the effect of lockdown on players, cricket in absence of fans inside the stadium and effect of saliva ban on fast bowlers.
“I think once the sport returns; there will be some evident lack of match practice and with time and a few intense sessions, things would improve.
The time needed would be lesser if we keep physically fit,” said Parag, who has been keeping himself busy with knocking the ball around and doing fitness drills in the basement of his house. However, Parag feels that the restrictions with regard to space are an issue compared to a large open field for practice. “I’ve not been on the field for some time now and haven’t had proper cricketing action in a while.” Riyan Parag feels that the extended lockdown will not impact on the performance of the sportsperson when the sport resumes. “Honestly, I don’t think it will have a massive toll. For me staying mentally fit and being in a good mental space is extremely important. If one is in a good mental space, it won’t affect the game adversely.
Parag also said that fans are a big part of the sport and playing in an empty stadium will be weird.
“It will be weird to have no fans in the stadiums but then we also need to take into consideration what’s the best for everyone. I think in the short term it will be safer for everyone to play behind closed doors.”
Talking on the aspect of the saliva ban, Parag said this rule can be vital in the course of the game and how cricket is being played. He also said the saliva ban will be tough on fast bowlers. “I think it’ll be a big change because everyone is so used to shining the ball on the field with saliva; the rule change will be difficult to deal with initially. I feel it will also be tough on the fast bowlers who rely a lot on it to get the ball moving. So, overall, I feel this is a big change in the short-term, something which might take some time to adapt to.”
Moving on to the aspect of IPL, Riyan Parag said that he is eagerly looking forward to IPL to happen this year.
“I personally hope IPL happens this year, it will be a big boost for everyone to have a grand event like the IPL after what has been such a difficult time for everyone. However, there’s still some time to go and I’m sure the government and the BCCI will make the call considering all the aspects,” added Parag.