'I don't care...,' Rajasthan Royals batter Riyan Parag opens up on India selection

Rajasthan Royals batter Riyan Parag is confident of playing for India in the future. The batter, however, isn't sure when but it doesn't bother him. Parag's comments came after a breakout IPL 2024 season where he scored 573 runs at an average of 52 and a strike rate of almost 150.

Parag was subject to rumours for a spot in India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad but didn't make the cut.

"At some point, you'll have to take me, right? So that is my belief, I'm going to play for India," Parag was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. "I don't really care when. [Even] when I was not scoring runs - I said this in an [earlier] interview as well that I am going to play for India.

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"That is me believing in myself. That is not me being arrogant. That is what my plan was with my dad [former Railways and Assam player Parag Das], when I started playing cricket when I was like 10-years old. We were going to play for India regardless of anything," he added.

India are scheduled to tour Zimbabwe after the T20 World Cup which ends in June last week and Parag might make the cut. The batter, however, isn't perturbed with his selection.

"Whether it's the next tour, whether it's a tour in six months, whether it's a tour in one year... I don't really put my thought behind when I should play," Parag said. "That is the selector's job, that is other people's job," Parag said.

Parag was one of the success stories of the IPL 2024 but his team failed to make it to the finals after loss against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in second qualifier.

Parag spoke about the loss as well and said: "The night after the game, it didn't really sink in. But then the day after the match and before the final, it was tough."