Going into the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, it was a safe bet that India would field Washington Sundar as the third all-rounder – alongside Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel – considering he was the Player-of-the-Series against Zimbabwe just a few days ago.
But Gautam Gambhir had other plans in his mind in his debut series as a coach as he opted to go in with the part-time spin of Riyan Parag as his sixth bowling option.
The call to go with Parag has been a fruitful one, as he employed his bag of variations with success against Sri Lanka. He claimed three wickets in the first T20I and bowled an economical spell in the second to help India seal the series.
Parag’s ability to spin the ball away from the batters of both kinds with his assortment of sliders and cutters has come to the fore in this series.
In the first game, he rattled the stumps thrice in the death with some fired-in deliveries to help India close out an easy win.
On Sunday, he was entrusted with the full four-over quota by skipper Suryakumar Yadav. Parag varied his pace and length to good effect, conceding just 30 runs in his spell.
Parag’s defensive bowling helped the other Indian spinners, Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi, to get on the wicket column.
Despite getting to bat just once – a six-ball seven in the first T20I – Parag would not be a disappointed man, courtesy of his performances with the ball.
For anyone who follows Indian domestic cricket, Parag’s bowling prowess shouldn’t come as a shock.
The 22-year-old is a regular presence with the ball for Assam across formats. He has taken the most T20 wickets (34) for the state in the last five years while going at just 6.44 runs per over.
Parag was also a consistent part-time option for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, until the arrival of the Impact Player rule in 2023. Only three of his 29.1 overs in the tournament have come in the last two seasons.
In his mentorship spells with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Kolkata Knight Riders, Gambhir has preferred batters who can also pitch in with the ball.
Parag’s bowling performance this series, along with his ability to bat across the middle order, should augur well for the youngster as India zeroes in on a stable T20 line-up.
