NEW DELHI: Riyan Parag’s father Parag Das presented him with the coveted India cap before the first T20I against Zimbabwe, marking a historic milestone as Riyan became the first male cricketer from Assam to represent the Indian national team.

The occasion was infused with a palpable sense of pride and accomplishment, especially in the wake of India’s triumphant T20 World Cup victory against South Africa.

As the Indian team began a new journey with a youthful side in Zimbabwe, Parag found himself at the centre of this emotional narrative.

The 22-year-old Parag’s achievement was made even more special as his father Parag Das, a former professional cricketer for Assam, had the honour of placing the India cap on his son’s head, while his mother gave him a hug afterwards, extending the series of heartwarming moments.

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While Parag Das represented Assam in 43 first-class matches and 32 List-A games, his son went one step further and earned his maiden India call-up on the back of a stellar performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, where he scored 573 runs for the Rajasthan Royals in 15 matches, averaging 52 with an impressive strike rate of 149.22 and becoming the third highest-scorer in the IPL 2024.


Parag, along with Abhishek Sharma and Dhruv Jurel, made his debut for India on Saturday, July 6th.

With their dreams of a debut being materialized at the Harare Sports Club on July 6th, Parag and others will be looking forward to making a mark as most of the World Cup-winning players were given a break from this five-match T20I series.