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The Rajasthan Royals batter talks about everything he did to transform his IPL career and get his first India call-up

Interview by Shashank Kishore01-Jul-2024Riyan Parag, who had his best IPL so far this year, scoring 573 runs at a strike rate of nearly 150, was at the Rajasthan Royals Academy in Talegaon, outside of Nagpur, when he received news of his first India call-up – for five T20Is in Zimbabwe in July. It marked a significant milestone for the former Under-19 World Cup winner (2018) and the IPL’s youngest half-centurion (in 2019).Not long ago, his dream to play for India had seemed distant, when Parag had four wretched IPL seasons. His celebrations on the field and his outgoing personality often made him a target of online abuse, especially after he couldn’t build on his early promise. After the 2023 IPL, Parag was determined to turn things around. In this interview, he talks about how he made the transformation.It’s taken you six years to have that breakthrough IPL. What led to it?
In one of our last chats after the 2023 IPL, Kumar Sangakkara told me I had to work harder to come back and perform. Three poor IPLs back to back made me doubt myself at different points. But over the years, I’ve always been very big on finding and fixing solutions myself, so I wasn’t speaking to anyone actually. I was just trying to figure out what went wrong.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. I was never a big cricket geek, but today I like watching videos, analysing my game, comparing certain elements of my batting to someone that does some things better, and learning from it.Related

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What kind of work did you put in?
Just going out of my comfort zone was the first step. I went to the Rajasthan Royals Academy immediately after the [2023] IPL. It’s hot, 45 degrees or something, and I’d do three sessions a day, every day, for a month. It takes a lot of dedication to just go there, because it’s a tough place, tough conditions, but then you’ve just got to get your work done, right? That has to come from within. That’s what helped me, because I wanted to improve. I wanted to know more about my game, I wanted to plan different scenarios. Because I’ve been lost inside those 22 yards way too many times. I’ve been lost for options for what I needed to do in certain situations. I think once you go through all those phases, you understand that you need to have at least two to three options for every single ball. And for that, you need to practise. Those practices take a lot of time, but eventually, when you do it for a consistent period, I think it works out pretty well.It contributed to a stunning domestic season. You made the most runs in the 50-over zonal Deodhar Trophy and the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, in which you made seven straight half-centuries and were a step away from taking Assam to their first final.
It was the coming together of everything I’d put into my game. Playing domestic cricket is a different kind of pressure, because now when I play for Assam, I have to stay till the end. In the IPL, if I get out, there’s Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell and Dhruv Jurel [to come after me]. It’s not the same in Assam. That pressure is different because the whole team is expecting me to get a fifty or a hundred every game so they can play around me. I’m not comparing the pressures of IPL and domestic; yes, at the IPL, the quality of bowling is way higher, but domestic cricket has a different kind of pressure. To do well across both those spheres is satisfying.What are the kind of sacrifices you’ve made in this period that has contributed to the transformation?
I wouldn’t call them sacrifices. To me, they are hard choices because I’m doing this for myself. I need to be fit and I want to play good cricket. For that, I’ve to be in good shape.Food’s a big factor. I like my food, but I can’t really eat whatever I want. Sleep is another factor. I can’t go out or stay up late. These are the general things I have been working on to upgrade myself. Those are choices but good choices for me.Fans in Guwahati show their support for the local boy•Biju Boro/AFP/Getty ImagesYour mother says you’ve become ruthless in saying “no” when it comes to food.
Yeah, I don’t mind being rude about this. Recently I was at an event and they were trying to offer me food. I told them, “No, thanks, I can’t eat this.” I think not giving in to those temptations makes you strong minded. A slice of pizza is not going to hurt me because I just went to the gym this morning and I cycled for like 10km, but then I’m not going to give in. Those are “private victories”. That’s what one of the UFC fighters I follow, Conor McGregor, says. If you can have those private victories when no one knows what’s going on, like refusing half a slice of pizza, even though you know you can burn it off easily… Now I get that self-assurance and self-confidence that, okay, I can control myself. Food is a very small thing to give up.You said during this IPL that this clarity has come with maturity.
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. Once I did, I think it turned out well. Me not performing, me feeling sad, me being left out of the team, me being abused by people, me coming back to my house knowing my dad and mom were expecting something, even though they don’t say it – I think that was pain. I really didn’t tell anyone. And I think that’s how you mature.It’s not about the age. It’s that pain. And only after going through all this, I realised, “Okay, I can’t suffer through this.” I am going out there to perform.Everyone has high expectations, but I have had to figure out what expectations work for me. The last year has been about working through all of this.You’ve copped a lot of online trolling. Over your performances, celebrations, tweets. How did you deal with it?
After last year, I decided to shut it out. There was a whole stand in certain stadiums that kept abusing me. That’s when I understood that you can’t really change someone’s opinion, no matter what you do. And how I look at life is not how someone else is going to look at it. If I see something that’s going on with a person but if I don’t know what they’re going through, I don’t really share my opinion on it. But that’s not how everyone sees it. Social media nowadays, even if you try to avoid it, you can’t, to be honest. Because if you open Instagram, you’ll just see something like that. You can just scroll [past] it, but there will be a thousand other posts. So you can’t really not see it. So I was just like, I might as well not open Instagram because I don’t need it.Parag’s best score in the 2024 IPL – 84 not out off 45 balls against Delhi Capitals – came while he was on painkillers and flu medication•Pankaj Nangia/Associated PressIt couldn’t have been easy?
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.The abuse and trolling – when did it begin?
During the Covid IPL season [2020]. I was 19, I had a great start to the IPL [debut season in 2019]. You dance [Parag’s Bihu dance was a social-media hit], you’re active on social media, you’re doing well and everyone loves you for it. I got so much praise from people in Assam, who love me because I’m showcasing our culture there. And then when the runs didn’t come, they’re picking on you. I used to sit on my balcony and stare at the sea endlessly. It took a lot out of me. That’s why I say maturity comes with pain.On the field, you seem very intense now. You smile a lot less, your celebrations are muted. Is that a deliberate attempt to tone things down?
Earlier I wanted to be my absolute true self. That’s how I portrayed myself. But because I got so many negative responses from that, because I was not performing… I understood that, okay, I don’t have to do that. As the years have gone by, I’ve refrained a bit. Now I’m just so into my game and into what’s happening on that given day. I can’t really express myself even if I want to. I don’t look back to the crowds even if they are all rooting for me. I’m looking at the bowler, the captain, I’m looking to think about what I would do if I was captain. The way I view a game is different now.Kumar Sangakkara spoke very highly of your routines and mindset during the IPL. How has your relationship with him evolved – you’ve now worked together for four seasons?
Communication is key. A lot of players get shy [of speaking to coaches]. Sanga made it very clear from the first year that he was very easy to approach and I took that. I always went to him, spoke about cricket, spoke about life, spoke about golf and a lot of things. It’s been really great working with him in the last three-four years. He’s very open to suggestions. He is very keen on how you’re developing your game even beyond the IPL, for the ten months where no one’s watching you. He’s still checking on you, on what you’re doing, how you’re playing. It’s been great working with him. He’s a legend, but then he’s a great human being too.Royals captain Sanju Samson has given Parag more leadership roles this season: “The captain had faith in me to talk to the bowlers, change fields if required, bowl certain bowlers in high-pressure situations”•Samuel Rajkumar/BCCIThe shift from a finisher to No. 4 – tell us about that.
Personally, I always felt I was not doing justice to the Nos. 6-7 spots. But I also had to move on quickly and not keep giving excuses, even though people around me made me believe it’s a tough position since you don’t get too many balls to play. All of which was true. But if I kept living under that umbrella of excuses, I wouldn’t further my game. If someone plays three years in the same spot, he’s got to figure it out, and I couldn’t. I have no one else to blame but myself. I could have done more, and I did not. I got to know just after the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy that I’d bat at four in the IPL. I was batting there for Assam, so I had a fair idea of how to go about it, whether it’s 0 for 2 or 100 for 2. So yeah, No. 4 was very easy to accept, but then going out there and implementing it and getting results out of it – that’s the difference.Getting the spot you love must have also brought some pressure with it?
Whatever I’ve done in my career till now, it’s down to confidence and mental strength. I’m not the best, technically. My last domestic season was superb. I got runs in Deodhar Trophy, topped charts in Syed Mushtaq Ali. I was having a good Ranji season and then I got injured in the fourth game, two months before the IPL. I didn’t even touch a bat for a month. But the fact that I was able to go into the IPL with confidence is because of the preparation and the confidence of runs.Then when the season started, just before our second game, I was sick. I couldn’t move out of bed. But I’ve always been very strong mentally, and I didn’t want to let go of a golden chance [of getting to bat at No. 4] so easily. That innings against Delhi Capitals [Parag made an unbeaten 84 off 45 balls] was some sort of a momentum builder for me. A lot of people told me after that: don’t get complacent, don’t get satisfied. And I was thinking to myself: How am I going to get complacent? How am I going to get satisfied when I’ve had three years of nothing except abuse and negative energy? So this year I was going to play regardless of anything. I’ve had a fracture, I had a ligament injury, but I just played through because I was not going to leave it.You’ve spoken about your admiration for Sanju Samson. What is your relationship with him like?
We are really close. This year we got even closer because he asked me to be part of the leadership circle during the games. I looked out for him, I had to speak to bowlers, talk about fields and communicate with him. So I got a lot of [time in] charge this season, which made me feel really nice because the captain had faith in me to talk to the bowlers, change fields if required, bowl certain bowlers in high-pressure situations.”Whatever I’ve done in my career till now, it’s down to confidence and mental strength. I’m not the best, technically”•Vishal Bhatnagar/Getty ImagesI think we’ve gotten really close in the last six years. Sanju . I’ve always wanted to be something outside of cricket, and that’s how I found gaming, back in 2018-19. When I’m home I don’t even pick up books, don’t text anyone. I just don’t do anything. I go to the gym in the morning, come back, rest, practise, and once that’s done, there’s no one who can get me out of my chair. I just game, game, game and then go back to sleep and do the same thing the next day. I’m pretty good at it and that’s why I can’t game when I’m outside, because my set-up is here. I miss it a lot when I’m out on tour but when I’m home, the love is just unreal for gaming. I’ve now started playing the PubG PC version.Looking ahead, how does it feel to be recognised as a bit of a path-breaker from Assam?
Growing up, I always felt people from our region limit themselves from dreaming big. I’d like to change that. I’m not there [an international player] yet. I want to play for the country. Once I do, then people know they can have a pathway, a road map from one of their very own who got there. Now I’ve played in the IPL and there’s realisation from the people that even if you’re from a small state like Assam, you can get to that level. But the thing is, the IPL can’t be that big a goal. You can play for one year and fade away. But when I play for the country, when I make it to the country, I think that’s when the actual road map will be set. They don’t have to really follow it. They can have their own versions of it.

With new-found hitting muscle to go with his guile as a spinner, he’s turned himself into a compelling package

Deivarayan Muthu31-Jul-2022When left-arm fingerspinner Akeal Hosein was stifling India’s top order with the new ball in the T20I series opener in Tarouba, it reminded Daren Sammy, who was on commentary at the time, of the control Samuel Badree provided him when he was West Indies’ captain. Hosein’s accuracy and courage to bowl the tough overs at the CPL earned him a T20I debut, against South Africa, in July 2021. He has since translated his CPL success to T20Is, establishing himself as one of the thriftiest spinners going around.Since his T20I debut last July, only Mahedi Hasan (5.70), Shakib Al Hasan (6.30), Adam Zampa (6.56) and Simi Singh (6.93) have a better economy rate than Hosein’s 6.98 among spinners who have bowled in at least 20 innings. And on Friday, he stood out amid West Indies’ rubble with outstanding figures of 1 for 14 – his most economical four-over spell in T20I cricket.Related

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Although Hosein has a deceptive, swinging arm ball and carrom ball in his repertoire, he largely relies on his stock ball and subtle variations in speed and length to trick batters. Hosein could have had Suryakumar Yadav out first ball on Friday, but Kyle Mayers dropped the catch at extra-cover. Hosein then slowed down his pace and found just enough grip and turn to have Suryakumar skewing a leading edge to short third.Then, when Rohit tried to manufacture a scoop, Hosein smartly shortened his length and darted in an arm ball to hit his inside edge. Hosein held his own against India’s IPL superstars even as the rest of the West Indian attack was taken to the cleaners.Khary Pierre, who is also an accurate left-arm spinner, isn’t surprised by Hosein’s international success. They go back a long way: from studying at the same school at Success Laventille in Port-of-Spain, to sharing dressing rooms at the Queen’s Park Cricket Club and winning CPL championships at Trinbago Knight Riders. According to Pierre, Hosein’s smarts have helped him stay ahead of the batters in the age of quick wristspin and mystery spin.”I think his [Hosein’s] accuracy and his variations [have been crucial to his rise],” Pierre tells ESPNcricinfo. “It’s a big part of fingerspin not only for him but for all fingerspinners. Only you have that control, you can stay ahead of the batsman. Akeal is a guy who thinks batsmen out. He watches plenty of videos and is a very smart cricketer. He is a student of the game, I’d say. He tends to watch batsmen and see what they’re doing or what they want to do.”Hosein and Pierre have often had to compete for the same spot at various levels but that hasn’t affected their friendship and has instead promoted a healthy exchange of ideas.”Club cricket at Queen’s Park, then TKR at CPL… we’re always willing to help each other,” Pierre says. “Sometimes, we [are] maybe competing for the same position but that has never hampered our friendship, no matter what. If he sees something in my game that needs fixing or maybe if I see something in his game that needs a fix, I’ll tell him and that’s how our friendship has always been. It was never about cricket only – we’re best friends off the field as well.”ESPNcricinfo LtdHosein had started the last T20 World Cup in the UAE as a net bowler and was then roped into the main squad after an injury to Fabian Allen. In this T20 World Cup year, he has grown leaps and bounds to become a frontline spin option for West Indies – with or without Sunil Narine. He has also dominated the ODI Super League, with a chart-topping 35 strikes in 20 games at an average of 23.37 and economy rate of 4.46. Ian Bishop has been so impressed that he felt Hosein had the tools to succeed in Test cricket as well.”From a very young age, Akeal has had that determination and that mindset [to succeed],” Pierre says. “No matter what the opposition he comes up against, he’s always determined to back himself and be the guy for the team. So, I think he has taken it upon himself to be one of the best players in the world and he’s a hard worker also.”Hosein has an electric presence in the field and can seamlessly slot into any position there. Of late, he has added power to his batting in his quest to establish himself as an international allrounder. In the Bridgetown T20I earlier this year, Hosein flexed his muscles with an unbeaten 16-ball 44 from No. 11, giving England an almighty scare along with Romario Shepherd. More recently in the Multan ODI in June, he clattered a 37-ball 60 from No. 7.Pierre believes that Hosein has the game to add to the wealth of all-round options for West Indies.”Akeal is a genuine allrounder. I think he has been one from since we were kids. Growing up probably the bowling took over at some point, but he is always an allrounder. He has worked really hard on his batting.”His all-round abilities will only get better. The more cricket he plays at the international level, the more you would see him batting and bowling and being a genuine allrounder for West Indies and by extension the rest of the world.”

The coach-cum-mentor turned a talented but disparate bunch into a united force that almost went all the way

Shashank Kishore in Rajkot13-Mar-2020
It roughly translates to ‘dreams in our fist; hope in our pockets; our heartfelt desire is; to achieve something’.These powerful lines, part of a poem narrated by veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan, boomed through the walls of the Bengal team room a night before possibly the biggest day in the cricketing careers of many from the team. Their Ranji Trophy dream was alive, there was (hope) of breaking a 30-year drought and getting their hands around the elusive title they last had a shot at in 2006-07.On Friday morning, they saw that dream come crashing down in an hour, after an inspired Jaydev Unadkat picked up two wickets, then showed outstanding presence of mind to effect a freak run out, and celebrated with so much passion that you feared his nerves would pop.In the Bengal dressing room, there was stunned silence. No one moved from their seats. No one wanted to make eye contact. The expressions on their faces told you the story of pain and heartbreak. And just like that, it was a case of being so near, yet so far. The end margin for the first-innings lead was 44 runs, but it was a lot closer than that.As the team stood deflated behind the ropes to walk in for the second innings that had been reduced to a mere formality, Arun Lal, their head coach and mentor, called them into a team huddle. He spoke passionately, or so you could gather from afar. And then as they dispersed, he clapped and patted all the boys and members of his support staff on the back.To him, this was no ordinary team. He’d fought through opposition from several quarters to run the team the way he wanted to, and wven faced with their biggest heartbreak in recent memory, he wasn’t going to let his emotions flow or have words slip out in anger.”We are proud of how far we’ve come,” Lal said. “This has been an incredible run for us. To get to a Ranji Trophy final isn’t easy, and we did a bloody good job. They should walk with their heads held high. I’m mighty proud of the fight they have shown.”For Manoj Tiwary, the entire game has been emotional for many reasons. For starters, this was a final. Thirteen years ago, he had played in one against Mumbai, as a rookie seeking to impress the national selectors. He even squared off against Sunil Joshi, the current chief selector, and Sarandeep Singh, current member of the selection committee, that season.Here they were, now watching Tiwary, the big brother, being flanked by his team-mates to celebrate his 100th Ranji Trophy game for Bengal. They even had a celebratory dinner, with every member of the support staff and team signing a miniature bat for posterity. It reflected a kind of camaraderie very rarely seen in the Bengal team. And just like in the past, where no one made an effort to hide the mistrust or infighting, the spirit also shone through quite naturally, right from the captain to the reserves.”I saw tears in Lal ‘s eyes, when we came to this final,” Tiwary said. “He’s very inspirational, says a lot of inspiring things. He is emotional by heart but a very good man. That Amitabh Bachchan (poem), he used to play every day while we started our team meeting. Those words are pure, straight from the heart. It was as if Lal himself was reciting it to us. And prior to the game when it was played, he teared up. For him, this was a Ranji Trophy final to cherish, like it was for all of us. Seeing that, I also had tears in my eyes, but I am better off not showing it. Lal is an expressive person. I will always remember those lines.”For Lal, known to be a modest man, it was the team effort that brought him recognition. “Look, you all should forget Arun Lal. I genuinely believe it’s the team that has brought you guys to me. Had we not qualified, you guys wouldn’t even be talking to me. It’s about the boys, the players, our support staff,” Lal said. “They are the real heroes. I always believe a coach is as good as his team, and not the other way round.”

“He talks straight. He has kept players on their toes while still giving them security. He changed the way we train. Even in the rainy season, training wasn’t called off for a single day. Wet outfield or dry, if we had to do 20 laps, we had to do it. Fitness wasn’t in question, he wanted to make us mentally tough.”Manoj Tiwary on Arun Lal

As humble as Lal made himself sound, Tiwary was clear his efforts were by no means a “small thing.” Uniting a dressing room and getting them onto a common platform, after all, was a task. It helped that everyone looked at the common goal. When he joined them as mentor in 2018-19 – “I merely sat back and observed how things were run”, he said – the players drew inspiration from the very fact that Lal was here, having taken up the Bengal job under tough circumstances, personally, after fighting his way back from a rare form of cancer that affected his jaw.Four months after his surgery and chemotherapy sessions, Lal was back in the commentary box to call a CAB Super League final that was widely televised. The game is best remembered for being India’s pink-ball debut.”When you live through that [cancer], you learn to look at life differently,” Lal said. “What is a cricket match at the end of it? You win and lose. I’ve always instilled in the boys, fighting through pain and overcoming it gives you bigger satisfaction than anything else. Win or lose, it’s the effort that counts.”That pain and fighting spirit were seen all through the final. Tiwary hurt his finger in the semi-final while trying to evade a bouncer. He needed it to be iced and plastered coming into the game he wasn’t going to miss for anything. On the third day, with the highly skilled Unadkat reversing the ball in a magnificent spell, he fought there for close to three hours, shelving his flair in favour of the hard grind. Anustup Majumdar was off the field for a majority of the first day, after having a crack in his left thumb while attempting a slip catch. He needed pain killers to ease himself in, and when he finally got the chance to bat, he nearly bailed Bengal out by doing the unthinkable on the fourth day. He was the reason Bengal even dared to dream of a title going into the final day.Some of the senior Bengal cricketers at the SCA Stadium in Rajkot•ESPNcricinfo Ltd”He’s liked by everyone in the fraternity,” Tiwary said of Lal. “He is open, says it as it is, and talks straight. If he finds something wrong, he will tell you straight. Not send out a message through the press. He has instilled fighting mentality in this team. He has kept players on their toes while still giving them security. He changed the way we train. Even in the rainy season, training wasn’t called off for a single day. Wet outfield or dry, if we had to do 20 laps, we had to do it. Fitness wasn’t in question, he wanted to make us mentally tough.”Lal set four fitness tests for the teams to pass. Discipline was inculcated by the means of a fine of INR 2000 for bowling a no-ball in the nets. Senior players were told to step away from their comfort zone. “He told us seniors what he expects from us,” Tiwary says. “If you’re playing for 10-15 years, you don’t realise when you slip into a comfort zone sometimes, but for a person with good intentions from the outside, he can see it. It’s not something we do on purpose, but it can happen. So he set that straight first. You see this season, all senior players have done what you expect of them.”Lal says it’s his ability to stay detached from cricket, and lead a very simple life, away from the game that has helped him immensely. While in Kolkata, he spends time with his eight dogs at his farm and takes part in plantation drives. He is passionate about environment sustainability, loves taking off to bird parks, and hopes to even write a book about it one day.”It’s the other interests that are as important,” Lal says. “If you come to my house, you will not see a single trophy, photograph, frames with cricketers, autographed bats, books – nothing. When we won the Ranji Trophy in 1989-90, we all got replica trophies made of . I just gave away all of them: the trophies, photo frames, bats. I can’t say why, it’s not because I don’t love cricket. Maybe it’s just me, but that is the person I am.”Lal would’ve sure loved getting his hands on the winners’ trophy this time, but it’s the satisfaction of seeing this group fight that has him excited. He isn’t yet sure if he wants to be part of another season – “we’ll see how things go” – but for now, he can walk away and reflect on an inspirational journey, just like those words from Bachchan that he made his team listen to every day.

Coming through trials and tribulations, Renegades pulled off a remarkable comeback to claim their maiden title

Alex Malcolm01-Dec-2024On the wall in the changerooms at the MCG on Sunday hung a Melbourne Renegades shirt. It’s a shirt that Renegades had carried with them throughout the entire WBBL and had in part carried them to their first WBBL final.The shirt was Josie Dooley’s. But the wicketkeeper-batter couldn’t wear it this season after suffering a life-threatening neurological disorder in May. She is still in the midst of a long recovery just to get back to a normal life, let alone play cricket again.On the back it had Dooley’s name and her number three. But there was also four words written on it. Renegades had asked Dooley to write an inspirational message for her teammates to read when they left the rooms.Related

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The words on the shirt said, “Don’t f*** it up”.They didn’t f*** it up. Renegades won the WBBL title for the first time in the club’s history, having previously been one of the worst performing franchises in the competition.Their coach Simon Helmot has just about seen it all in cricket. He’s an infectious, energic, endlessly positive character who has won trophies all around the world in the men’s game. But after winning the WBBL title, when talking about Dooley and others within Renegades’ family, he broke down.”She came to all the important games,” Helmot said fighting back tears. “I said, ‘Josie we need you here for the team meeting’ yesterday, and she turns up.”Cricket … it’s more than just a game.”It’s about people and their trials and tribulations.”

229 days after a life-threatening medical episode, @RenegadesBBL coach Simon Helmot hands over his Champions medallion to Josie Dooley

Sensational stuff. #WBBL10 pic.twitter.com/3ELXqvUyj0

— Weber Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) December 1, 2024