Riyan Parag

Riyan Parag Das (born 10 November 2001) is an Indian cricketer who plays for Assam in domestic cricket and for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

They even finished top of the run-charts for their department in the Inter-Railways competitions in Nagpur in 2004, just before his India debut.

They have also played against each other in the Ranji Trophy, when Dhoni turned up for Bihar several years ago.

On Parag's IPL debut, Dhoni was keeping wickets and captaining the opposition.

His mother Mithoo Barooah, is a former national record holding swimmer in 50m freestyle who represented India at the Asian Championships and SAF Games.

As a 14-year-old, Riyan Parag could have been the youngest first-class debutant in India, but for the Assam selectors, who weren't on the same page as the state's then coach Sanath Kumar.

Riyan Parag surpassed Yusuf Pathan’s record of nine sixes for West Zone against North Zone (2010), to record the most sixes in an innings in the tournament's history by smashing 11 sixes against North Zone.

Parag struck centuries against West Zone and North Zone.

In the final of the tournament playing for East Zone against South Zone, Riyan scored a 65 ball 95 after coming to bat when his team was tottering at 72 for 4 chasing an imposing target of 329.

Prior to the tour, he finished a bumper season, in which he was the second-highest run-getter in the 2016-17 Cooch Behar Trophy, India's national four-day tournament for U-19 players, with 642 runs in 14 innings and a best of 202 not out.

Riyan made his Twenty20 debut for Assam in the 2016–17 Inter State Twenty-20 Tournament on 29 January 2017.

In October 2017, he was named in India's squad for the 2017 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup.

He made his first-class debut for Assam in the 2017–18 Ranji Trophy on 17 November 2017.

In 2017, he was selected for India's Under-19 squad for the two youth Tests in England.

He finished the two youth Tests in England as India's second-highest run-getter, behind Prithvi Shaw.

His twin fifties in the first-game - including a 33-ball half-century, the second-fastest behind Virat Kohli in recorded youth Tests, helped India set up a declaration and paved way for a 334-run victory in Chesterfield.In the second Test, he made a half-century in India's quest for quick runs, strung a 131-run stand with Shubman Gill for the fourth wicket and set up a 2–0 series win.

He was selected in India A squad for India U19 Challenger trophy(2017), and became the highest run-getter in that tournament.

In December 2017, he was named in India's squad for the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.

According to the India U19 coach Rahul Dravid,he was in phenomenal form, hitting it beautifully in the build-up,but unfortunately got injured.

Parag didn't start the tournament because of a finger injury, and made the XI only for the final group game against Zimbabwe.

He broke his finger in the warm up games, but participated in the later half of that competition.

The finger injury in his left hand meant he couldn't bat fluently.

He worked on his secondary skill and developed as an offspinner.

He was a part of the Indian Under-19 team that won the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.

Riyan's father, Parag Das is a former first-class cricketer who has represented Assam,Railways and East Zone cricket team.

After being absorbed by NF Railway, the very next season Parag Das also led the under-25 Railways team.

Many years ago, his father and MS Dhoni featured in Railways' tournaments together in Kharagpur and Guwahati.

He was the leading run-scorer for Assam in the 2018–19 Vijay Hazare Trophy, with 248 runs in seven matches.

In December 2018, he was bought by the Rajasthan Royals in the player auction for the 2019 Indian Premier League at his base price of 20 lakhs.

During the 2019 Indian Premier League, he became the youngest cricketer to score a fifty in the history of the Indian Premier League.

He achieved the feat at the age of 17 years and 175 days breaking the previous record of 18 years and 169 days, jointly held by Sanju Samson and Prithvi Shaw.

He was released by Rajasthan ahead of the mega auction for 2022 Indian Premier League.

In February 2022, he was re-bought by the Rajasthan Royals in the auction for the 2022 Indian Premier League tournament.

In the 2022 Indian Premier League, he took 17 catches - the most by any Indian fielder and non-wicket-keeper in the tournament and scored a match winning 56 not out for Rajasthan Royals in a low scoring thriller against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

In the 2022-23 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he was the highest run-getter for Assam and overall the fifth highest across sides in the season, with 552 runs at an average of 69 with three tons and one fifty.

He also took 10 wickets in the season with his leg-break bowling.

In the quarter finals of the tournament chasing a mammoth 351 against Jammu and Kashmir, he struck a career best 174 off 116 balls, an innings that was studded with a dozen sixes and an equal number of fours.

In one of the group stage matches of the first-class 2022-23 Ranji Trophy tournament playing against Hyderabad, Riyan struck 78 off 28 balls with the bat in the 2nd innings apart from picking up an eight wicket match-haul with his leg break bowling to help his team clinch a closely fought contest by 18 runs.

In the 2023 Deodhar Trophy, he was adjudged the Player of the Series for being the highest run-getter, highest six-hitter and third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament.

He scored a total of 354 runs in the tournament at a batting average of 88.50 and snapped 11 wickets at a bowling average of 19.09.