Going into the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, it was expected for India to field Washington Sundar as the third all-rounder – alongside Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel – considering he was the player of the series against Zimbabwe just a few days ago.
But Gautam Gambhir had other plans in his mind in his debut series as the national head coach as he opted to go in with the part-time spin of Riyan Parag as his sixth bowling option.
The call to go with Parag has turned out to be fruitful as he employed his bag of variations to great effect against Sri Lanka. He claimed three wickets in the first T20I and bowled an economical four-over spell in the second as India sealed the series on Sunday.
Parag’s ability to spin the ball away from the batters of both kinds with his assortment of sliders and cutters has come to the fore in this series.
READ | SL vs IND, 2nd T20I: Indian skipper Suryakumar backs his bowlers, says Bishnoi
In the first game, he rattled the stumps thrice late in the game with some fired-in deliveries to help India close out an easy win.
On Sunday, he was entrusted with the full four-over quota by skipper Suryakumar Yadav. Parag varied his pace and length to good effect, managing to beat the outside edge of both left and right-handers multiple times. Despite Kamindu Mendis laying into him with four fours, the Indian spinner conceded just 30 runs in his spell.
Parag’s defensive bowling forced the Lankan batters to take on the other Indian spinners, Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi, who gathered two and three wickets respectively.
Despite getting to bat just once – in the first T20I, when he was dismissed for a six-ball seven – Parag would not be a disappointed man, courtesy of his performances with the ball.
For anyone who follows Indian domestic cricket, Parag’s bowling prowess shouldn’t come as a shock.
The 22-year-old is a regular presence with the ball for Assam across formats. He has taken more wickets (34) for the state in T20s than anyone else in the last five years while going at just 6.44 runs per over.
Parag was also a consistent part-time option for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, until the arrival of the Impact Player rule in 2023. Since then, he has bowled just three overs across two seasons (Parag bowled 26.1 overs in the four seasons before 2023).
“I think domestic was always good for the last three, four years, but I was not able to convert it in the IPL. I did a lot of groundwork at the RR academy and the IPL went well and I’m here. Everyone thought it was unimaginable and impossible to make it from Assam, but it is a surreal feeling,” said Parag ahead of the second T20I.
In his mentorship spells with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Kolkata Knight Riders, Gambhir has preferred batters who can pitch in with the ball. At LSG, he had an array of all-rounders such as Marcus Stoinis, Kyle Mayers, and Krunal Pandya, who could fit in across the batting order.
And when it came to KKR, Gambhir had the likes of Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer and Andre Russell stacked in the lineup as the team rampaged to the IPL title this season.
Parag’s eye-catching bowling performance this series, along with his ability to bat across the middle order, should augur well for the youngster as India zeroes in on a stable lineup with an eye on the 2026 T20 World Cup.
The opportunity to don the Indian colours consistently is not something Parag takes lightly.
“Feels great. I’ve always been dreaming about this - if not being a permanent member, a consistent player. Surya bhai has been very supportive and has given me the freedom. Once that comes from the coach and captain...that has given me the freedom to go out and express myself,” added Parag.
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