Former T20 World Cup winner S Sreesanth savaged rising star Riyan Parag for his pre-tournament comment, where the Rajasthan Royals all-rounder was asked about his prediction on the ICC event. Sreesanth’s comment was made live on-air moments after India beat South Africa in the T20 World Cup final at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday.

Parag, a rising star in the cricketing world, was among the contenders for a place in the Indian T20 World Cup squad. His performance in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was particularly noteworthy, where he smashed 573 runs, the third-highest in the season and most by an uncapped batter, for Rajasthan Royals. However, despite these achievements, the selectors opted for experience and Parag was left out of the tournament.

Later, in an interview with The Bharat Army, ahead of the start of the World Cup in June, Parag was asked to predict the winners for the tournament, and he came up with a striking response that went viral on social media. He said: “I don’t want to watch cricket anymore, because I want to play the World Cup.”

A month later, after India claimed their second T20 World Cup win and first in 17 years, Sreesanth took an indirect dig at Parag for his statement, saying that he first needs to be patriotic and then be a cricket lover.

“Some youngsters have also said that they will not watch the World Cup because they have not been selected. I would say that first you should be patriotic, then yes, you should be a cricket lover. But those who have selected the team, they should be supported with all their heart, mind, and passion,” he said live on Star Sports.

Parag was later awarded for his stunning show in the 2024 IPL season as he earned his maiden India call-up for the impending three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, which begins on July 5.