OVERHYPED Cricketer? R Ashwin gives a blunt verdict on 'frequently criticised' young Indian player

 In the Ranji Trophy match between Chhattisgarh and Assam, Chhattisgarh emerged victorious by 10 wickets. Batting first, Chhattisgarh posted a total of 327 runs in their 1st innings with Amandeep Khare excelling with a knock of 116 runs. Assam managed to score 159 in response, with Sourabh Majumdar taking 6 wickets for Chhattisgarh. In their second innings, Assam's Riyan Parag's remarkable 155 propelled them to a total of 254. However, Chhattisgarh chased down the target of 87 runs comfortably without losing any wickets, with Rishabh Tiwari and Eknath Kerkar contributing 48* and 31* respectively. Amandeep Khare was awarded the Player of the Match for his outstanding performance.  

3 things you need to know 

• Chattisgarh beat Assam by 10 wickets 
• Amandeep Khare was named the Player of the Match 
• Riyan Parag played an explosive knock of 155 

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R Ashwin shuts all the Riyan Parag’s critics 

With his explosive batting in the current Ranji Trophy, Assam's Riyan Parag has been drawing recognition. He put up a great show recently against Chhattisgarh, hitting 155 runs off only 87 balls, including two sixes and eleven fours. This incredible achievement was the second-fastest century in Ranji Trophy history.

In contrast to his achievements in the Ranji Trophy, Parag has not always lived up to the hype during the Indian Premier League (IPL). He is under fire for his IPL performances, having been called an "overhyped" player by a number of fans and analysts.

On the other hand, R Ashwin is more upbeat, seeing Parag as a young player who is always developing. Speaking on his YouTube  channel, R Ashwin said: 

“Riyan Parag is frequently criticised as an overhyped cricketer after just seeing his IPL performances. We forget that he is a youngster. He is still a young player who is getting better. Parag made useful contributions in the Syed Mushtaq Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy and slammed 155 for Assam against Chattisgarh in the first match of the ongoing Ranji Trophy season,” 

“He scored 155 off 87 balls. He didn’t play for the sake of playing T20 cricket. He was pushed into that situation. All the batters on the other end fell like flies, and he took charge of his own hands and played such a knock,”

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Assam will be seen in action against Kerala and Andhra in their next match of the Ranji Trophy and Parag will again look to score big for his state side.