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'More you back Parag, more injustice for the players in the wings': Virender Sehwag takes a dig at Rajasthan Royals

Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has criticised Rajasthan Royal's (RR) Riyan Parag for his poor run of form lately in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

SportsTak

• Mon • 17 Apr 2023

Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has criticised Rajasthan Royal's (RR) Riyan Parag for his poor run of form lately in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). The batting all-rounder has only managed to score 39 runs in four matches at an average of 9.75 this season.

The 44-year-old former explosive opener believes that if Parag wants to play for Team India, then he should perform in the cash-rich league. But, if he fails to perform then the team management should look to drop him and give the other players a chance.

“It is right for the players who are sitting outside to think 'What wrong have we done to not get these many chances.' Even Rajasthan management must be thinking how long they should back Riyan Parag. If he wants to play for India then this is the platform where he has to deliver, or else he deserves to sit on the bench,” said Sehwag.

The 2011 World Cup winning opener feels that Parag has not lived upto the expectations that RR had from him and has let down his franchise. This might not be an issue for RR as they have two more all-rounders in their reserves — Abdul Basith and Akash Vasisht — who are eagerly waiting for their chance to shine in the glitzy tournament.

“They have invested that trust in Riyan Parag for a long time now, but he just hasn't lived up to that trust. They are still in a good position and can afford to look at other players who are on the bench. The more you continue to back, the more injustice it will be on the players waiting in the wings. So this is their chance to check who else can fit in that role,” Sehwag added.

Parag has returned with scores of 7, 20, 7 and 5 for RR this season. He was dropped for RR's win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 12 but was drafted back in for their last match against Gujarat Titans (GT) on April 16 but again failed to prove his mettle with the bat.

After beating the Titans in what was a last-over thriller, Rajasthan will now lock horns against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 19 at their fortress, the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.