Riyan Parag is glad to have made a return to competitive cricket while representing East Zone against North Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2025 quarter-final this week and wants to build on the outing as he gears up for the rest of the year.
Riyan Parag was last seen in action while playing for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2025, where he finished as the team’s second-highest scorer with 393 runs. He also took three wickets.
However, he was away from the sport in order to recuperate fully from a shoulder injury he had sustained late last year.
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In his comeback match, Parag scored 39 off 47 balls and bowled 22 overs for a single wicket. Despite his efforts, North Zone advanced to the semi-finals on the basis of their first innings lead.
"The match felt good. I mean, that was the main goal when I came here to play the game,” Parag told PTI. “Performances, I didn't really focus on it 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 any cricket… But this was a good outing,” Parag said.
“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. I could have converted it for a bigger score, but I'm happy. The arm also feels much better," he added.
Parag’s return to competitive action marks an important step in his journey back to full fitness and sets the stage for a potential comeback on both domestic and international fronts later this year.
"I think it's back to basics now. I took a break for the shoulder and stuff like that happened. Ranji is coming in, then the Australia tour is coming in (in October).
“If I get selected there, I (will) do that. Otherwise, I will go back to domestic cricket and do what I've been doing for the last two-three years. Be top scoring every single game, and have a good IPL and play for the country again," he said.
The 23-year-old Riyan Parag made his T20I bow for India in July last year, followed by his ODI debut in August.
He has scored 106 runs at a strike rate of 151.42 and taken four wickets in nine T20Is so far. His only ODI match saw him take three wickets and score 15 runs against Sri Lanka in Colombo.
