3 reasons why India should play Riyan Parag in the 2nd ODI vs Sri Lanka
Riyan Parag's star is on the rise. The youngster recently made his T20I debut in Zimbabwe and is all set to be an integral part of the Indian team across formats shortly.
Parag was left out of India's XI for the opening ODI against Sri Lanka, with the Men in Blue choosing to field Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube ahead of him. The match ended in a tie, and the composition of India's side was perhaps a few notches below ideal.
There are a variety of factors that back Parag's inclusion in the second ODI, which will be played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, August 4.
On that note, here are three reasons India should pick Riyan Parag for the second ODI against Sri Lanka.
#3 India might need more than 30 overs of spin
India have three quality spinners in the form of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar. But that might not be enough in Colombo, where the fast bowlers have been considerably less effective than their slower counterparts.
Sri Lanka themselves have 40 overs of spin to call upon, and India might look to adopt a similar strategy in the second ODI. Given that none of the current top five are capable of bowling decent spin, Riyan Parag is the obvious choice that comes to mind.
Parag can either replace one of the top eight or play in place of a specialist fast bowler. Either way, he could be a clear value addition on Sunday.
#2 Riyan Parag needs to be continually tested with both bat and ball
The T20I series between India and Sri Lanka proved that Riyan Parag is a capable bowler. The 22-year-old sent down an assortment of variations and exhibited decent control for a bowler who hadn't previously bowled at the highest level of cricket.
At the start of his international career, India have looked to test him. Parag bowled at the death in the first T20I and completed his quota of four overs in each of the following two matches. The second ODI will present the think tank with another excellent opportunity to test the young all-rounder.
#1 The sooner Parag plays ODIs for India, the better
Why does Riyan Parag need to be tested? Well, it's arguable that he's one of India's greatest white-ball talents at present. He has everything necessary to become a world-beater with both bat and ball in the years to come.
The 2027 World Cup is a fairly long way away, and it's hard to say whether the likes of Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul will still be around and in-form then. India need to identify the next generation of youngsters who can carry the baton forward, and Parag is close to the front of that pack.
The sooner he becomes an ODI regular, the better it will be for India's future.