In a T-20 match on Saturday in Harare, all-arounder Riyan Parag made his debut against Zimbabwe, becoming the first cricketer from Assam to represent his country at the senior level.
“A son’s dream takes flight, and a father’s heart swells with pride! Riyan Parag, you’ve made Assam proud! And what makes it even more special is receiving his Cap from the person who inspired him the most – his father!,” Assam Cricket Association posted on X, congratulating the young player.
The day was deemed significant for the state by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
“Our very own @ParagRiyan makes his debut in the Indian Cricket Team as he plays his first T20I match for #TeamIndia against Zimbabwe at Harare,” he wrote on the micro-blogging site.
“#RiyanParag becomes the first Assamese male cricketer to play for India. Proud moment; may be reach the pinnacle of sporting glory,” the former Assam CM added.
The 22-year-old, who did not bowl in his debut international match, did not do well with the bat either. In the fifth over, India was chasing Zimbabwe’s 115 runs when he was caught for 2 runs off 3 balls.
The first T20 International of the five-match series was played here on Saturday, and Zimbabwe pulled off an enormous upset by defeating the Indian squad, which was full of Next-Gen players, by 13.
In the Indian national squad for the visit of Zimbabwe last month was Riyan, who played for the Indian Under-19 team that won the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
In addition to playing for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League since 2018, he has represented Assam in local cricket since 2017.
Uma Chetry, another cricket player from the state, was previously chosen to the Indian women’s team but has not yet made an appearance on the international scene.
