South Zone emerged as the winner of the Deodhar Trophy 2023 final. They beat East Zone in the final match. Despite losing, East Zone’s standout player Riyan Parag performed well throughout the tournament. He scored 354 runs, including 2 hundreds and a fifty, making him the highest scorer of the tournament. He also received the Player of the Series award.
Parag has often faced criticism on social media, particularly during the IPL, where his performance for Rajasthan Royals has been inconsistent. The all-rounder from Assam has now openly responded to his critics.
Riyan Parag on criticism
During a conversation with The Indian Express, Riyan Parag mentioned that he doesn’t understand why people are so concerned about him. He finds it funny that every little thing he does, like chewing gum or adjusting his collar, gets such negative comments.
“People have a problem with me chewing gum. If my collar is up that’s a problem. I celebrate after taking a catch that’s a problem. They have a problem with me gaming and playing golf in my off time,” Parag said.
But Riyan Parag also clarified that people dislike him because he doesn’t match the image of the typical, well-behaved cricket player that everyone expects.
“I have an idea why people hate me. There is a rulebook about how you should play cricket. The T-shirt should be tucked in, the collar should be down, give respect to everyone, don’t sledge anyone, and I am completely the opposite. I had a decent Deodhar Trophy, and now people are saying what a talent. Tomorrow I will fail in one game and people are going to talk s**t about me. There is no point giving a thought to those faceless trolls. No one has come down to me and told me their exact problem with me,” he added.
Riyan Parag also mentioned that these strong criticisms don’t bother him.
“I am going to play the way I know; either they can join the wagon or they can oppose it. I am not really concerned about it,” he further added.
