- Riyan Parag urges pundits to avoid personal attacks on players.
- Parag says criticism should remain limited to cricket performances.
- RR skipper highlights unseen preparation behind every IPL match.
The captain of the Rajasthan Royals, Riyan Parag, has urged cricket experts and television pundits to refrain from personal attacks on players, arguing that criticism should be directed toward sport rather than off-field issues.
Following the Rajasthan Royals’ seven-wicket victory over the Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur on Tuesday, Parag voiced his displeasure at the scrutiny cricketers endure, especially when conversations drift off topic and into personal matters.
The 24-year-old, who was an unused impact replacement and missed the game with a hamstring injury, claimed that people often don’t realise how much work goes into each game.
“As far as the IPL is concerned, there are a lot of things happening outside this year,” Parag said. “We, as players, try to give our best whenever we can. It is easy to say after a poor performance that players do not know how to play or lack the mindset, but people do not see the three to four days of preparation behind every match.”
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Riyan Parag urges pundits to avoid personal criticism after IPL punishment
This comes after the IPL governing body fined and punished the RR skipper for smoking an e-cigarette in the team dressing room during an IPL match. According to Parag, pundits who have the power to shape public opinion have to use greater caution while discussing athletes.
“We are humans too and we make mistakes too,” he said. “Cricket is the country’s biggest sport and it should be treated with respect. We should only talk about cricket, not anything else.”
The captain of the Rajasthan Royals added that he has developed the ability to disregard criticism over time.
“For the last four years, I have understood that no matter what I do, there will always be talks,” he said. “But I have also realised that it should not affect my game, my form, or my mindset because keyboard warriors are outsiders.”
Riyan Parag hails Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after stunning 93 against LSG
Parag was full of admiration for teenage batting wonder Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, whose blistering 38-ball 93 propelled Rajasthan Royals to an incredible chase of 221 and kept their playoff chances alive, despite his criticism of the outside noise.
The 15-year-old’s innings was his most stunning performance to far, according to Parag, especially given the posture he displayed following a controlled start.
Sooryavanshi trusted his strategy and launched a brutal counterattack that destroyed the Lucknow bowling team instead of freaking out after scoring only five runs off his first ten deliveries.
The teenager’s courageous strokeplay also astounded Lucknow Super Giants head coach Justin Langer, who called his batting “breathtaking” following yet another outstanding performance in the competition.
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