Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Riyan Parag has opined that he wants to become a specialist batter for the number six or seven position like MS Dhoni. The former Indian cricket team captain started his career as a top-order player, but since the team needed a finisher, he transitioned into that role and helped the Men in Blue win several matches.
Even after retiring from international matches, Dhoni has continued to play the finisher’s role well for the Chennai Super Kings in the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League. Not a single fan will ever forget the way he finished things off in style against five-time champions Mumbai Indians during the league stage of the tournament.
In the same competition, Riyan Parag played for the Rajasthan Royals. He was a finisher and a spin-bowling option for the Jaipur-based franchise. Parag played a couple of decent knocks for the Royals, but he could not do it consistently. Speaking with Sports Tak about his role, Parag said:
“I am learning a lot. No. 6 and 7 are not easy. People think you just come and hit sixes, there is no tension. But that is not how it works.”
Riyan Parag wants to own the number 6 and 7 positions in the batting lineup
Generally, most batters prefer playing in the top-order of the team, but Riyan Parag wants to play at the number six or seven positions. Speaking further during the same interview, Parag added:
“I want to own No. 6 and 7 position. Only one player has done that in world cricket and that is MS Dhoni. Barring him, no other person comes to mind. I hope to go on that road.”
The Rajasthan Royals team management has shown full faith in Riyan’s skills. It will be interesting to see how he performs in the coming seasons for the inaugural IPL champions.
