'It really affects you. I took alot of things to heart': Riyan Parag narrates how he changed in 2024

Navigating the world of professional cricket can be tough, especially when you're still in your teenage years. Riyan Parag knows this all too well, as his cricketing journey has been far from smooth, marked by relentless trolling and criticism from fans and social media alike.

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Riyan Parag on his success

Despite facing heavy scrutiny and a barrage of memes for his previous performances, which saw him score just 600 runs from 54 matches, the new and improved "Riyan 2.0" has emerged in IPL 2024 with a renewed sense of purpose. He has already amassed an impressive 284 runs this season, placing him second only to Virat Kohli in the list of top run-scorers.

Gone are the flashy celebrations; instead, Parag's bat has been doing all the talking. It seems he has finally found his stride both on and off the field, learning how to navigate the challenges that come with life beyond the cricket pitch.

"Life on the outside of cricket really affects you. And that's one big major part which has played in my career is how I deal with it," Riyan said ahead of Rajasthan Royals' IPL game against KKR here on Tuesday. 

In his previous seasons, he has never managed an average higher than 17. His best performance with the bat came in his debut year, where he scored 160 runs from seven matches at an average of 32.00.

"It didn't really start out well, I took a lot of things to heart, that were being said about me, etc, whatever it was. I just had to figure out what mattered to me, whose opinions mattered to me, and I figured that out eventually And that has helped," said Riyan, who during last year's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament after scoring a half-century against Bengal, had made a celebratory gesture that he is cut above everyone. 

He faced a lot of criticism, at times rightly so, for his on-field antics. More so, because performances weren't coming through. But under Zubin Bharucha's guidance at the Royals Academy in Talegaon, things changed as he worked hard on his game, fitness and results showed in every domestic tournament this year. His name is doing rounds as a possible contender in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup in USA and West Indies but realistically, itis the tour of Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, where he has more realistic chance of making the cut.

"I'm not really thinking about it to be very honest. If you told me last year I'd be in this position, I would not believe you," Riyan said.

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"So I'm just really glad to be doing what I am doing, and I just want to continue that. I want to take it one game at a time, and focus on how I can win more matches for the team, because that's more important.

Before this IPL, Riyan averaged 13.00 in 2022 aggregating just 78 runs from seven matches but being promoted to No. 4 by Kumar Sangakkara has changed the course of his career.

"Cricketing-wise, I think playing at No. 4 is, again, something which I'm used to doing in domestic cricket in different situations, more common situations, actually. But yeah, it's been a mix of both, emotionally and skill-wise."

"I feel I've been contributing a lot to the team and that's what I've been trying to do for the last few years, it hasn't really clicked. This time it has and I just want to continue that," he said.

(With PTI inputs)