Time takes time, but it rewards those who do so. Riyan Parag can attest to the same as the youngster notched his second consecutive fifty of the IPL season, as he led the Rajasthan Royals to their third consecutive victory of their campaign.
Chasing a meagre 126, Parag came into a seemingly lethargic inning and cleared the boundaries at will as he slashed and dashed his way to a quickfire fifty as well as the win for RR.
When asked about what caused him to flip the switch this season and tap into this newfound confidence and form, Parag stated that he just simplified the game for himself, focusing on taking it one ball at a time.
“Nothing has changed, just that I have simplified things. Before I would think about things too much, this year the goal is simple, watch the ball, hit the ball. It’s a funny thing, I have said it before, this is the exact situation I go in to bat in domestic cricket,” said Parag in a post-match interview.
“When Jos got out, I went in to bat, this is when I usually go out to bat. For 3-4 years I haven’t performed well (in the IPL.) When the performances are not coming, you get back to the drawing board. I practiced really hard, I have practiced these kinds of scenarios,” stated Parag.
Mumbai’s fightback had to be respected as calm and composed spells from the likes of Bumrah and Madhwal seemed to have slowed the RR batters down, feeding MI hope of an upset.
But, no matter what, RR kept the scoreboard ticking slowly yet steadily, as Riyan Parag and Ashwin put up a solid 40-run partnership.
