IPL 2024: Riyan Parag reminds me of young SKY at MI, says Rajasthan Royals assistant coach Shane Bond

Rajasthan Royals assistant coach Shane Bond has compared an in-form Riyan Parag with young Suryakumar Yadav. The former New Zealand gun fast bowler observed SKY from close quarters as MI’s bowling coach. Meanwhile, Parag has been in sensational form in the ongoing season of IPL 2024 as he has returned with scores of 43, 84, and 54.

The right-hander has scored 181 runs in the three matches of the tournament and he is now the joint-highest run-getter along with Virat Kohli. Parag scored a match-winning knock of 54 runs off 39 balls against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Monday to get his team over the line by six wickets in the run-chase of 126.

The batter from Assam showed great maturity as he batted at the top of his game when RR were 48-3 after 6.3 overs.

“He (Parag) sort of reminds me a little bit of Surya (Suryakumar Yadav), who came to Mumbai a few years ago. He looks like that – he has got extreme talent. He has just matured as a cricketer, even though he is only 22,” Bond, who is also the RR bowling coach, said at the post-match press conference.

Meanwhile, Parag scored 510 runs (highest in the tournament) in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 10 matches at an average of 85 and played a key in taking Assam to the semifinals.

“He (Parag) has had an outstanding domestic season, obviously, batting up the order. The trade we made with Devdutt (Padikkal), bringing Avesh (Khan) in, that was to put Riyan up into a position which was probably better suited,” the former New Zealand fast bowler added.

Bond added that there were a lot of expectations from Parag when he batted down the order and it is never easy to play the finisher role without much experience.

“Riyan started so young, you forget that he was 17 or something, playing in one of the toughest spots in a batting line-up of No 6. You look at the characters who finish games around the IPL, they are generally pretty experienced guys,” he said.

“(The) Tim Davids, (the) Dave Millers… these are high quality players who play international cricket. Riyan has been tasked with that for a number of years. He is still a very young man, but he has got this wealth of experience behind him now.

“We are getting the best of him. The investment that RR have made of him, it’s starting to reap the rewards. It is pretty exciting what he could offer for the rest of the season for us.”

Rajasthan Royals will next take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, Jaipur on Saturday.