The way things have been unfolding over the last few days, it is abundantly clear that both Riyan Parag and Abhishek Sharma figure prominently in the Indian selectors’ plan for the future.
Both youngsters earned their maiden call-up for the five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe last month. The selectors rewarded the young batsmen after they enjoyed a standout season in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL). Both Riyan Parag and Abhishek Sharma were two of the best batsmen of the IPL 2024 as they helped their teams advance ahead of the league stage.
Abhishek Sharma impressed everyone with his power and finished the tournament with the most number of sixes. In 16 games, he scored 484 runs at a strike rate of over 204 with the help of 36 fours and a record 42 sixes. He played a key role in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s march to the final.
On the other hand, Riyan Parag enjoyed Rajasthan Royals’ qualification for the playoffs. The right-handed batsman finished the season as the third-highest scorer, scoring a career-best 573 runs in 16 games with the help of 4 half-centuries.
“Riyan Parag and Abhishek Sharma will get more opportunities,” says R Sridhar
With the addition of Riyan Parag and Abhishek Sharma to the Indian squad, former India fielding coach R Sridhar believes that the youngsters will get more opportunities in the coming days. However, he also noted that they are unlikely to play too many ODIs in the near future before saying that they will be given ample opportunities in T20Is.
“Of course, they will be given more opportunities. The BCCI selectors will choose the series and they will be given opportunities. I think they will play a lot more T20Is in the future, with the Champions Trophy coming up in 6-7 months and not many ODI matches left. They will surely get a chance to play ODI cricket,” R Sridhar told Hindustan Times.
“But certainly players like Abhishek and Riyan will play a lot for the A team and many domestic matches. The selectors will give them opportunities to play international cricket so that they are more prepared when they become full-time players for the Indian team,” he added.
Meanwhile, Parag managed to retain his place in the T20I squad and also earned his first ODI call-up for the ongoing tour of Sri Lanka. On the other hand, Sharma was dropped from the T20I squad even after scoring an impressive century in Zimbabwe.
