Riyan Parag sort of reminds me a little bit of Suryakumar Yadav: Shane Bond

Rajasthan Royals (RR) assistant coach, Shane Bond, was mightily impressed with Riyan Parag's performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) clash against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, on Monday, April 1. Parag scored an impressive unbeaten 54 in a game where supposedly an easy chase turned trickier. Notably, the youngster's valiant knock helped his side register a six-wicket win. 

In the aftermath of the impact of the Assam-based cricketer, Bond stated that Parag reminded him of a young Suryakumar Yadav who joined Mumbai Indians in 2011. Moreover, the former New Zealand legend described the 22-year-old as a player of 'extreme talent'. Parag has brought his rich form from the domestic front into the IPL and the former New Zealand fast bowler believed promoting him to No. 4 suited well for Rajasthan.

“He (Riyan Parag) sort of reminds me a little bit of Surya (Suryakumar Yadav), who came to Mumbai a few years ago. He looks like that - he has got extreme talent. He has just matured as a cricketer, even though he is only 22,” Bond said during the post-match press conference.

Also read: IPL 2024: Riyan Parag shares heart-melting moment with his mother after win over MI

“He has had an outstanding domestic season, obviously, batting up the order. The trade we made with Devdutt , bringing Avesh in, that was to put Riyan up into a position which was probably better suited,” he added.

Riyan was 17 or something, playing in one of toughest spots in batting line-up: Shane Bond

Furthermore, while praising Riyan Parag, the 48-year-old pace legend stated that the youngster has had to play the finisher's role in the IPL at a young age while other teams used the vastly experienced international players. The legendary pacer seemed pleased that the team management was finally getting the best out of the 22-year-old. 

Also read: IPL 2024: MI vs RR Match 14 Highlights: Unmissable video recap, turning points, match analysis, stats, and more

“Riyan started so young, you forget that he was 17 or something, playing in one of the toughest spots in a batting line-up of No 6. You look at the characters who finish games around the IPL, they are generally pretty experienced guys," RR's assistant coach further continued.

“Tim Davids, Dave Millers… these are high quality players who play international cricket. Riyan has been tasked with that for a number of years. He is still a very young man, but he has got this wealth of experience behind him now. We are getting the best of him. The investment that RR have made of him, it's starting to reap the rewards. It is pretty exciting what he could offer for the rest of the season for us," Bond concluded.