"People Are Going To Talk S**t About Me": India A Star Hits Out At 'Faceless Trolls'
The India A star who played in the recently-concluded Emerging Asia Cup has hit out at the "faceless trolls", who targets him time and again.
India's rising cricket star Riyan Parag has hit out at the "faceless trolls" who targets him time and again. Parag, a known name in the Indian Premier League (IPL), has been part of the T20 extravaganza since 2019. He was bought by Rajasthan Royals (RR) for Rs 20 lakh for his maiden season. Ahead of IPL 2022, RR released the player and paid a whopping sum of Rs 3.8 crore in the auction to buy him again. While the huge bidding increased the stature of Parag, it also invited some added scrutiny that the player was already facing.
Parag has played 54 IPL matches and scored 600 runs at an average of 16.22 and a strike rate of 123.97. From getting trolled for his poor performance in IPL to getting bashed for his celebrations and attitude on the ground, 21-year-old Parag has faced all of it in his short cricket career so far. He also featured for India A at the recently-concluded Emerging Asia Cup, where the team lost to Pakistan A in the final.
In recently-concluded Deodhar Trophy, Parag was in superb form, scoring 354 runs at an average of 88.50 and a strike rate of 136.68. The right-handed batter has now opened up on the trolling and criticism he faces.
"I had a decent Deodhar Trophy, and now people are saying what a talent. Tomorrow I will fail in one game and people are going to talk s**t about me. There is no point giving a thought to those faceless trolls. No one has come down to me and told me their exact problem with me," Parag told The Indian Express.
"People have a problem with me chewing gum. If my collar is up that's a problem. I celebrate after taking a catch that's a problem. They have a problem with me gaming and playing golf in my off time.
"I have an idea why people hate me. There is a rulebook about how you should play cricket. The T-shirt should be tucked in, the collar should be down, give respect to everyone, don't sledge anyone, and I am completely the opposite."
Rajasthan Royals
India Cricket Team