"I had to put up with stuff I didn't really deserve" - Riyan Parag opens up on handling hatred and negativity

Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Riyan Parag admitted being affected by the undeserved hatred and negativity directed towards him earlier in his career. The 22-year-old received an IPL contract from RR in his teens in 2019 but succumbed to expectations.

Parag had a reasonably impressive debut IPL season in 2019 with an average of 32 and a strike rate of 126.98 in seven games. However, he struggled massively in the next four IPL seasons from 2020 to 2023 with a lone half-century in 47 games.

Apart from his poor on-field performances, fans also went at Parag for his nonchalant and seemingly carefree approach.

In an interview with ESPNCricinfo after his maiden India call-up for the upcoming Zimbabwe T20Is, Parag said:

“It's not easy. But then again, after last year, I had a chat with myself. And this sort of a comeback is personal, because I had to put up with stuff I didn't really deserve. Maybe I've lacked in preparation, maybe I've lacked in a few things, but then I've always put my best foot forward. I thought I didn't deserve all the trolling, but what could I do? People are going to say things regardless. Last year they said I wasn't good enough to play in the IPL. Now they want me in the Indian team. So people change, just like a switch."

Riyan Parag enjoyed a sensational turnaround domestic season after IPL 2023 and continued his impressive run in the 2024 IPL season.

The Assam cricketer finished with 573 runs at an average of 52.09 and a strike rate of 149.22 in 15 matches, resulting in his national call-up.

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"Maturity comes with pain" - Riyan Parag

Riyan Parag feels he matured as a cricketer thanks to all the pain caused by the hatred and negativity directed towards him.

The 22-year-old was heavily criticized by fans all over India for his dismal showing in the IPL until the 2024 season.

"Maturity comes with pain. There are millions watching the IPL. When I don't perform, I feel terrible. And people add to it. Opinions from fans add to it. Opinions from great players add to it. So I just had to figure out what really mattered. Why was I getting so much hate? Why was I getting negative energy from all the people except those from the Royals set-up? I tried to understand my game. And once I started doing that, I got this sudden love for getting into cricket a lot," said Parag.

Parag will likely debut for India in the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, starting in Harare on Saturday, July 6