Riyan Parag sends warning with practice match blitz for Rajasthan Royals that could've broken KL Rahul's IPL record

Mar 19, 2025 09:48 PM IST

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Riyan Parag smashed a fiery unbeaten knock of 144 off 64 balls, comprising 10 sixes and 16 boundaries.

India all-rounder Riyan Parag, who was retained by Rajasthan Royals for INR 14 crore ahead of the mega auction last November, sent out a warning to all opponents in the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). On Wednesday, in a practice game for Rajasthan before the upcoming IPL season, Parag carved out a sensational knock that could have broken KL Rahul's five-year-old record in the league.

Rajasthan Royals had retained Riyan Parag for INR 14 crore(AP)

In preparation for the IPL 2025, all franchises have already started their training camps after India's Champions Trophy campaign. Few even hosted intra-squad practice games. Rajasthan hosted on Wednesday, and in one of their updates on social media about the match, they shared a video of Parag walking back to the dugout amid applause from his teammates. The video then shared the details of his knock, saying that he smashed a fiery unbeaten knock of 144 off 64 balls, comprising 10 sixes and 16 boundaries.

Had Parag carved out that score in an IPL game, it would have shattered Rahul's record for the highest individual score by an Indian batter in the history of the tournament. The India wicketkeeper-batter had scored an unbeaten 132 for the Punjab franchise against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2020. Overall, it was the fifth-highest score by a batter in IPL.

Parag returns after shoulder injury

The right-hander heads to IPL 2025, having recovered from a shoulder injury, which saw him on the sidelines for three months, including the four-match away T20I series against South Africa. He had returned to action in a one-off game for Assam in the Ranji Trophy.

The knock of 144* in the practice game will surely serve as a huge morale booster for Parag and give him the confidence to emulate his IPL 2024 show, which saw him break into the Indian team. Last season, he had scored 573 runs at 52.09, at a strike rate of 149.22

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