New Delhi: The South Zone, led by Mayank Agarwal, won the Deodhar Trophy's 2023 edition, but Riyan Parag stole the show from start to finish. The East Zone all-rounder, who finished his season as the third-highest wicket-taker, the player with the most sixes, and the highest run scorer, was named Player of the Tournament.

He added two more centuries to his List A total during the competition—a 102-ball 131 against North Zone and a 68-ball 102 against West Zone.

A third would have been possible in the championship match, but he was dismissed for 95 against South Zone and thus fell painfully short of the triple-figure mark.

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A little more than two months had passed since the horrific IPL 2023 performance for the Rajasthan Royals, during which he was also benched from the starting lineup. Parag was spotted talking to his hero Virat Kohli, whose picture he has kept as his WhatsApp profile picture, during his poor run of form.

After winning the Deodhar Trophy, Parag gave an interview  where he discussed the advice he received from the former India captain that helped him make such a dramatic turnaround.

“Mai puri baat nahi bata paunga (I cannot tell you the exact conversation). He told me ‘something that has worked for half a year cannot be wrong after a few failures. What happens in the IPL is that the tournament goes on so fast that after failing in two games, you start to question yourself. Everyone makes mistakes and I have made tons of them. Two-three games don’t go your way and you feel (the need) to change your process and work ethic,” he said.

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“It was him telling me that ‘take the reality check and accept that this is a bad phase but it doesn’t mean that you need to change the process that has been working for you’,” he added.

Parag, who is only 21 years old, has experienced both sides of his professional career. There have been highs, such as the U-19 World Cup victory in 2018 and some standout IPL performances that led to the Royals signing him for INR 3.8 crore last December, but there have also been lows, such as the 2023 IPL season, which also saw him receive harsh criticism on social media.

“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,” he said. “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.”

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