Riyan Parag setting sights on enjoying the game in return to top-flight cricket for the first time since IPL.
Riyan Parag focuses on game-time and ‘fun’ on return to competitive grind.
After spending the majority of the previous season battling a shoulder ailment, East Zone captain Riyan Parag was focused on getting some game experience and easing himself back into the grind of competitive cricket during the 2025–26 Duleep Trophy.
In October 2024, Parag made his last appearance for India in a Twenty20 International match against Bangladesh. He played for Assam in the Ranji Trophy 2024–25 in January despite requiring surgery for his shoulder injury. Parag’s most recent competitive cricket match was with the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2025 prior to the Duleep Trophy. Due to the shoulder issue, he was “managing a lot of stress” even though he finished the season as their second-highest run scorer.
“It was good,” Parag said after the final day of the Duleep Trophy game against North Zone. “I mean, that was the main goal when I came here to play the game. Performances, I didn’t really focus on that much. I just wanted to have some fun.
“I haven’t played competitive cricket in a long time. Since the IPL, I haven’t really played. [In the] IPL also, I was managing a lot of stress and stuff like that. But it was nice, was a good outing. Not in a good way with the amount of overs we fielded. But then still, rolled my arm for a few overs, batted for a while. Could have converted it for a bigger score, but then I’m happy. The shoulder feels much better now.”
Parag was removed for 39 in the lone innings that East Zone batted, leading the team in the absence of Abhimanyu Easwaran, who was declared out with a fever on the first day. Although he did not bowl in the first innings, he bowled 22 overs in the second, helping North Zone increase their advantage of 175 to 658 for 4.
Despite the game ending in a draw, North Zone’s advantage in the first inning earned them a spot in the semi-finals.
“They played better cricket, I got to give credit to that,” Parag said on North Zone’s performance. “I feel we could have done better in the first innings while bowling but then we should have got at least close to like 350 and then try to restrict it.
“But once we did not do that, they had the lead of around 200 runs. Then, just the batters batted really well and just took the game away from us and the last day was just formality, I think, for them to get their milestones.”