At The Age Of 5, Riyan Parag First Met MS Dhoni. Now He's Playing Against Him In The IPL!

Riyan Parag was just five years old when he first met Mahendra Singh Dhoni. It was after an international match against Pakistan in Guwahati in 2007.

The first ODI in a five-match series, which India won by five wickets. Dhoni was the India captain and the Man of the Match for his fine innings of 63 off 77 balls, which helped India chase down the target of 240. After standing in a queue for hours, Riyan finally managed to meet Dhoni and get a photo clicked with the then India captain.

Riyan, though, was no ordinary fan. He was aspiring to become a cricketer himself.

The 17-year-old from Assam, who is primarily a batsman but can turn his arm over if needed, was, in fact, part of the 2018 U-19 World Cup-winning Indian team.

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He was also the leading run-scorer for Assam in the 2018-19 Vijay Hazare Trophy (248 runs in 7 matches). And all along he dreamt of someday playing in a match with MS Dhoni.

Twelve years after he first met Dhoni, Riyan¡¯s childhood dream of sharing the field with the wicket-keeper batsman came true in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season, on April 11.

The 17-year-old from Assam, who is representing the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL (his maiden season after being bought by the Royals for his base price of Rs 20 Lakh), finally met his childhood hero not as a fan, but as a fellow cricketer when Rajasthan hosted Chennai.

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¡°I did interact with Dhoni after the match and he gave me a few pointers to improve my game and form. I keep those in mind and make sure to employ them when I play my game,¡± Riyan told Timesofindia.com.

Riyan's connection with MS Dhoni, though, doesn't end with him being Dhoni's fan and now getting the chance to play against the former India captain.

Interestingly, Riyan¡¯s father Parag Das, who has played 43 first-class and 32 List A matches for Assam, also played against Dhoni who made his first-class debut for Bihar in the 1999-2000 Ranji Trophy season. Das played against Dhoni in an Assam vs Bihar match. In Assam's second innings, Dhoni stumped Parag, who was an opening batsman.

¡°It¡¯s amazing to play with someone who played with my dad earlier. It is surreal to share the field with one of the greatest cricketers of all times. I¡¯m glad I got a chance to share the field with him (MS Dhoni),¡± Riyan told TimesofIndia.com.

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¡°My dad is my idol and I admire him. That is why I took up cricket. He has had a big influence on my career and made a huge impact. He guided me through all the ups and downs in my entire journey so far,¡± the youngster said.

Making his IPL debut against CSK in Jaipur this season, Riyan managed to score 16 off 14 balls. He was incidentally caught behind by MS Dhoni in that match. In the Jaipur fixture against Mumbai, Riyan scored 43 off 29 balls, with 5 fours and 1 six, and put on a match-winning 70-run partnership with his team¡¯s captain Steve Smith (59 not out off 48 balls).

¡°That was a very tense situation (match against Mumbai Indians) and I was really nervous, but Smith told me to imagine that I¡¯m his childhood friend and that we¡¯re playing gully cricket and all would be well. And so it was,¡± a confident Riyan said.

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Against the Kolkata Knight Riders in Kolkata, the Assam lad played a very effective steady knock of 47 off 31 balls, which was crucial in his team¡¯s three-wicket win. This is his highest IPL score so far.

The 17-year-old has played six matches (for innings) so far in the tournament and scored 110 runs.

Riyan loves the role of a finisher ¨C a skill that he wanted to acquire and hone, inspired by his childhood hero Dhoni.

¡°I think I can be a good finisher and win matches for my team. It¡¯s probably inspiration that I took from Dhoni. I think I¡¯m confident enough; and with my current batting form, I think I can contribute to my team¡¯s success as a cricketer,¡± he said.

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As far as keeping calm in pressure-cooker situations is concerned, Riyan follows the Dhoni model there too - ¡®keep your cool¡¯.

¡°The tournament (IPL) itself is a really high-pressure tournament and as a cricketer you have to play under pressure in most situations. Pressure is always there, you have to keep your cool and just play your game¡±, he said.

Riyan is another cricketer from Assam, after Abu Nechim, to play in the IPL. Nechim made his IPL debut in 2012 and went on to play four seasons (2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015). He represented Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians in his IPL career.

Riyan feels cricketers from Assam and the Northeast should be given more chances in a big tournament like the IPL.

¡°Yes, I definitely think so. Although the infrastructure is improving back home now, there are more opportunities here. Given the platform that the IPL offers, I think it is the best for upcoming talented players to start from here. I think most youngsters should be given a chance at the IPL,¡± he said.

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Making the most of his IPL opportunity, Riyan is taking batting tips and picking up new ideas from some of the world-class cricketers who are currently part of the Rajasthan Royals camp.

¡°It¡¯s just amazing to play with them. For me personally, it¡¯s about learning a lot. I can just look at them and learn from their form and take ideas from their game to better mine with each match. They have never made me feel like I¡¯m the youngest or I¡¯m new. It¡¯s all part and parcel of the learning process. As and when I have doubts, I ask them and they guide me and help me learn from my mistakes,¡± he said.

¡°I think it¡¯s a homely feeling and I haven¡¯t felt as though I¡¯m new to the franchise. Every senior has been friendly and kind and always open to discussions at any given time. The IPL is one of the biggest tournaments and it gives importance to budding and upcoming talents. It¡¯s a great platform and there are so many players that have reached great heights just by performing in the IPL and are now recognized worldwide,¡± Riyan further told TimesofIndia.com.

Though the IPL experience will be a huge learning curve for Riyan, the experience of being part of the Indian Under-19 team, which won the World Cup in 2018 under the leadership of Prithvi Shaw, was also a very important one for Riyan.

¡°It was an amazing feeling because those were the smaller steps that would lead me into the real world of cricket. I enjoyed every bit of it, my teammates, Rahul Dravid sir and everything about the journey of the U-19 world cup." said the 17-year-old.

Riyan also praised the extremely talented Prithvi Shaw, who captained the U-19 World Cup-winning team of 2018.

"I think he (Prithvi) is also a very promising upcoming talent and he will definitely do well for himself. As a captain I think he is quite fair and responsible,¡± Riyan signed off.