The 5 time IPL winners Mumbai Indians (MI) are in a state of bother after losing two matches consecutively and now are placed at the bottom of the points table. MI’s next match is against Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on 1st April. All eyes will be on RR’s pinch hitter Riyan Parag who finally has rediscovered his mojo. Riyan Parag smashed a barnstorming knock of 84 runs in 45 balls against Delhi Capitals (DC) and struck 7 fours and 6 sixes.
Riyan Parag’s rise means that there is no added responsibility on the likes of the powerful hitter Shimron Hetmyer. RR’s management made a good decision and promoted Riyan Parag at No.4 batting position which gives him time before unleashing the attack on the opposition team. It won’t be wrong to say that RR have got a foxy spin duo present in the form of Ravichandran Ashwin & Yuzvendra Chahal.
MI skipper Hardik Pandya will have to figure out the bowling combination of the side as Kwena Maphaka, the youngster was taken to the cleaners. It would be interesting to see whether Hardik takes the new ball again as he has received a lot of flak for being expensive as his line & length aren’t up-to the mark. The problem with MI’s spin attack is that they don’t have an experienced spinner apart from the veteran Piyush Chawla who too hasn’t possessed any threat so far which is a huge concern for the team.
Riyan Parag has always been pinned as an exciting player to watch- Trent Boult
Trent Boult was having an interaction with the media and recalled his first experience with the dashing right handed batter Riyan Parag. Trent Boult termed Riyan Parag as the most amazing player and said that everyone is very happy for his success in the tournament. Boult named Riyan Parag & Nandre Burger as the two cricketers which will play huge role in the tournament for RR.
“The first experience I had with him (Parag) was (at) a warm-up game here in the bubble when the IPL was based in Mumbai, a couple of years ago. He got 85 off probably 30 balls and I just thought he was the most amazing player,” said Trent Boult.
“Obviously, everyone is very happy to see him have some success early in the tournament this year. He’s always been pinned as an exciting player to watch, so of course, it’s always very satisfying to see a guy go out and his game come off. One hundred per cent he’s got a huge role to play for us in this tournament,” he stated.
“Nandre is a guy that I’ve only just met, but bowls with good pace, good skills and comes from South Africa where conditions are very different. He’s brought his game in nicely and delivered very nicely for us so far, so another guy who should play a huge role in our tournament,” he added.
Also Read: IPL 2024 : Riyan Parag Post His Scintillating 84* Opens Up On His Role For Rajasthan Royals In 2024