Riyan Parag‘s fiery temperament on the field was on full display during Day 3 of the Duleep Trophy 2024 clash between India A and India B at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Known for wearing his emotions on his sleeve, Riyan Parag once again grabbed the spotlight, not for his efforts with the bat but for his emotional outburst after his dismissal on Sunday, September 7.
At a critical juncture, Riyan Parag looked solid, having resumed his innings with an overnight score of 27. India A’s expectations were high as the young batting sensation looked set for a significant knock, having added a crucial 79 runs with KL Rahul (37) against India B.
Riyan Parag’s frustration reaches its peak in Duleep Trophy 2024
But on the morning of the third day, everything took a sharp turn and he could add just three runs to his second-day score in the Duleep Trophy 2024 match in Bengaluru. Parag lost his wicket in the 39th over when he misjudged a delivery from India B player, left-hander Yash Dayal.
The ball, which was heading towards the leg side, looked harmless at first. However, Riyan Parag, who looked caught out, attempted a flick shot, but the ball went slightly wide. India B wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant made no mistake in completing the catch, and Parag’s innings came to a disappointing end.
What followed was an emotional moment, as a visibly frustrated Riyan Parag stood frozen at the crease, almost in disbelief at what had just happened. He slammed his bat against his pad in anger, clearly upset with himself for squandering the opportunity to build a big innings for India A.
His reaction led many to believe that he was unhappy with the umpire’s decision, but replays quickly disproved those assumptions. Commentators were equally confused by Riyan Parag’s emotional display. Laxman Sivarimakrishnan, in the commentary booth, questioned whether Parag was unhappy with the umpire’s decision.
However, Sivarimakrishnan’s commentator Anjum Chopra was quick to clarify that the young batsman’s frustration was purely self-inflicted. Replays confirmed that the ball had lightly touched Parag’s bat, making the decision fair and clear, breaking his solid partnership with Rahul.
Watch Parag’s reaction here:
— Cricket Cricket (@cricket543210) September 7, 2024
Navdeep Saini shines with the ball for India B
After Parag’s wicket, India A wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel was dismissed LBW by Navdeep Saini for just two runs in 16 balls, putting India B in a better position in the game. Earlier, India A opener Mayank Agarwal was dismissed in a similar fashion in Bengaluru.
On the second day, Pant got him caught on the leg side off the bowling of Navdeep Saini for 36 runs. Then, India A captain Shubman Gill fell for just 25 runs to Saini again. Later, Shivam Dube and Tanus Kotian were dismissed for 20 and 32 runs by Mukesh Kumar and Sai Kishore respectively.
India B restricted India A to 231 runs after posting 321 runs on the board, thanks to Musheer Khan’s 181-run innings and Saini’s brilliant fifty in the first innings of the inaugural game of the Duleep Trophy 2024.
Mukesh Kumar and Saini returned with three wickets while Sain nabbed two. For India A, Aakash Deep was the standout bowler with 4 scalps while Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan picked up two wickets each against India B in Bengaluru.