Rajasthan Royals middle-order batter Riyan Parag made history with RR in IPL 2024, setting a record for the most runs scored at number four in a single season, surpassing Rishabh Pant‘s 2018 record of 547 runs.
Parag became the first player to exceed 550 runs at this position.
Despite scepticism, he was promoted to number four under Sanju Samson‘s leadership and performed consistently.
However, he faced criticism from Sunil Gavaskar for his dismissal in a crucial match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, with Gavaskar questioning his shot selection and decision-making.
Gavaskar was furious as he remarked “Seriously, seriously? What’s the use of all the talent if you are not going to think? What kind of shot is that, seriously? So much talent. If you don’t have the temperament, it won’t work.”
Following this event, Riyan was faced with angry fans who abused him for making the wrong decisions. To this, Riyan said in an interview,
“I’m not performing bad intentionally, right?”
Riyan Parag’s Leaked YouTube History
Recently, Parag, found himself embroiled in controversy for an entirely different reason.
The young player was live-streaming his gaming on YouTube. However, the session quickly turned controversial.
During his live stream, while looking for copyright-free music to play, Parag accidentally displayed his YouTube search history revealing a side You’ve Never Seen!
Riyan’s search history showed inappropriate searches related to B-town actresses Ananya Pandey and Sara Ali Khan.
Two tabs especially attracted viewers’ attention. These were “Ananya Panday hot” and “Sara Ali Khan hot”.
Screenshots from the live stream of his YouTube search history immediately went viral, sparking controversy. The internet did not hold back and meme pages flooded the gram, poking fun at Riyan.
The event sparked widespread criticism, public outrage and debate. Social media was filled with mixed reactions.
One user commented saying
“Pure saal mehnat karne ke baad Riyan end me aakar search history ki vajah se famous ho raha hai”
Some people found the revelation amusing, while others criticised it, saying people with a public identity should be more careful with their online activity.
The event also led to discussions about privacy, with many arguing that even celebrities should have the right to keep personal searches private.
Riyan’s father said that the kind of trolling and abuse Riyan received on social media was extremely cruel. Although, Riyan is mentally strong enough to handle such incessant online hate.
Shubhman Gill and Ananya Pandey?
The trolling recently took a fresh humorous turn when Ananya Pandey appeared in an advertisement for an electronic company ‘Beats by Dre” with Riyan’s teammate and cricket fame Shubhman Gill.
Riyan’s fans expressed a feeling of betrayal on his behalf as he had the hots for Ananya while Shubhman Gill got the opportunity to feature with her.
One user commented on the post saying “Justice for Riyan Parag“.
Another user mentioned Shubhman’s alleged girlfriend Sara Tendulkar in his comment saying, “Riyan and Sara crying in a corner after seeing this ad”.
However, all these comments had no ill intent and were in good humour.
No official statements were issued by Riyan after this online fiasco. He chose to focus on his on-field presence rather than trivial social media trolling.
Riyan Parag Receives ODI Cap From His Idol Virat Kohli
Recently, before his ODI debut, Riyan received the ODI cap from Virat Kohli himself.
Kohli raised the player’s spirits with a motivating and welcoming speech that nearly brought the young player to tears.
He congratulated him for getting to play his first game for India. Virat went on to say that the selectors and experts see something special in him.
“You have that ability to become a match-winner for India. I know you have that belief. I have known you for a while now. We all have that belief in you. No better time to start off your career with an impactful presence on the field…. I wish you all the best”
Riyan considers Kohli his idol. He said “My role model has always been Virat Kohli. I adore him as a player of course, but even more as a human being.”
Earlier, in Parag’s T20I debut, he had received the debut cap from his father, Parag Das who is a former first-class cricketer from Assam.
Focus on the field
In today’s social media-driven world, maintaining focus and discipline becomes even harder. With cricket’s growing popularity, cricketers are now some of the biggest celebrities in the country. With popularity comes extreme scrutiny and exposure to the public eye.
Players like M.S. Dhoni and Virat Kohli have been pioneers not only on the field but on social media as well.
Young talents like Parag must learn not only to handle their on-field performance but also to navigate the pressures of public opinion off the field.
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