"It's a proud moment for the people of Assam" - Fans react to Riyan Parag receiving maiden India call-up for Zimbabwe T20Is

As Team India gear up to take on Australia in the crucial encounter of the 2024 T20 World Cup on Monday, the squad for the upcoming T20I series in Zimbabwe was announced. There were several national call-ups with Assam cricketer Riyan Parag being one of many breaking through and making the 15-member roster.

Parag finally converted his long-time promise into performances during the 2024 IPL season. The 22-year-old scored an incredible 573 runs at an average of over 52 and a strike rate of almost 150 in 15 outings. His heroics made him the third-leading run-scorer of the tournament, helping the Rajasthan Royals finish third on the points table and qualify for the playoffs.

India's tour of Zimbabwe starts a week after the ongoing T20 World Cup on June 6 with five T20I games played until July 14.

Indian squad for Zimbabwe T20Is:

Shubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Nitish Reddy, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, and Tushar Deshpande.

Fans on Twitter congratulated Riyan Parag for receiving his maiden national call-up with the following reactions:

The reactions and the best wishes poured in from the fans for Parag with one saying:

"Such a happy year for Assam. First Uma Chetry in the Women’s Cricket Team and now Riyan Parag to the Men’s Cricket Team."

"Riyan Parag becomes the second Assamese to secure a position in the national team squad. First one to the man's team. After Uma Chetry, now it's Riyag Parag to bleed blue on behalf of the nation," a fan tweeted.

"I knew Riyan Parag would make it. The orange cap was a sign of it," said a fan.

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"Dare to Dream" - Riyan Parag on his India selection

Moments after the Indian squad for the Zimbabwe T20Is was announced, Riyan Parag took to his X handle to express his delight. The youngster struggled with the bat from the 2018 to 2023 IPL season before an incredible 2023-24 season sparked his turnaround.

Parag especially lit up the 2023-24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), finishing as the leading scorer with 510 runs at an average of 82 and a strike rate of 182.79.

Here is Parag's post on his Twitter handle following the squad announcement:

Apart from Parag, others like Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Reddy, and Tushar Deshpande also received maiden national call-ups, thanks to their impressive performances in IPL 2024.

Shubman Gill will lead the side with Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel picked as the two wicketkeepers.