SMAT 2025-26 | Riyan Parag: whenever I am fully fit, you will see me in India colours again

Riyan Parag, who last played for India over a year ago, believes he isn’t part of the national setup currently because of a shoulder injury and that he can play both white-ball formats for the Men in Blue.

“I felt I was pretty decent [for India]. This is my belief, or overconfidence; you can say whatever you want. But I know that because my shoulder was injured, I am currently not playing for India. Otherwise, I think I can play both white-ball formats [for India]. Whenever I am fully fit, you will see me in India colours again,” Parag told The Hindu after leading Assam to a 58-run win over Vidarbha in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at the Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Thursday.

Though Parag has had a forgettable time with the bat, scoring just 39 runs in five innings, he isn’t too concerned about his recent slump.

“I have been through these phases too many times. In domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL), there have been three to four years where I have had to struggle a lot,” Parag said.

“This [Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy] is all for muscle memory. If I score runs, then it is very good. If I don’t score, it is not like I won’t score in the IPL,” the all-rounder added.

With Rajasthan Royals trading Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings ahead of next year’s IPL, Parag, who is a candidate for full-time RR captaincy, admitted he will miss the Kerala batter’s presence in the dressing room.

“I don’t want to think about his absence, because I will feel bad. I was very close to Sanju bhaiya when I came into the team. He never let me feel that I was a 17 or 18-year-old boy from Assam,” Parag said.