Assam continued their strong run in the current Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India’s domestic T20 tournament, as they reached the quarterfinals for the first time since the 2009 edition. They achieved this milestone by convincingly defeating arch-rivals Bengal in the preliminary match, holding Bengal to a mere 138/8 in Chandigarh.
Assam comfortably chased down the target with eight wickets and 13 balls to spare. Throughout their campaign, the standout performer was the swashbuckling all-rounder Riyan Parag, who, at the young age of 21, continued to impress in the domestic circuit.
Riyan Parag initially showcased his bowling skills by taking two wickets while conceding just 23 runs in his four overs. He then demonstrated his batting prowess by scoring an unbeaten half-century in just 31 balls, hitting two fours and four sixes in the process.
Upon reaching this milestone, Parag made a bold statement to the cricketing world. He used his index finger to symbolize his supremacy before pointing to himself and indicating that he stood above the rest, concluding his celebratory gesture with a display of his biceps.
Notably, Parag extended his record of consecutive half-centuries in T20 cricket, making it seven in a row, accumulating a remarkable 490 runs in eight innings with an average of 122.50 and a strike rate of 189.19.
— Shamsi sinha (@SSinha23546) November 1, 2023
Interestingly, a commentator earlier in the game had referred to Assam as “second-class citizens” due to their previous losses to Bengal, sparking speculation on social media about the meaning behind Parag’s provocative gestures.