The middle and lower-middle order seems to be one of the major concerns for the BCCI selectors ahead of the Asia Cup. Less than a month to go before the tournament starts, and there are still plenty of speculations and claims about India’s possible squad for the competition, where the Men in Blue will start their campaign as the defending champions. In T20 matches, middle-order batters often take vital roles to decide the result of the match.

After the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy, India’s tendency to increase batting depth is no more a secret. To increase depth in the batting range, the management showed their trust in all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Shardul Thakur. When the discussion is about the T20 format, India has a wide range of talents for each department. Riyan Parag, who is mostly known for his batting skills, made a significant impact during his bowling duties too. Fresh claims suggest that Riyan Parag is in contention for the Asia Cup 2025, which will be played in Dubai. Also, the venue can be a crucial factor behind squad selection. In Dubai, the tracks can be batting friendly or can be helpful for slower deliveries. If the management considers Parag for the tournament, then there can be high expectations around his all-round abilities.

His T20I stats are too low to justify his actual potential, but the Assam-born improved his numbers during the last couple of IPL seasons. Riyan Parag’s overall IPL career: 84 matches, 1,566 runs, and a 26.10 batting average. In IPL 2024 and IPL 2025, his batting average jumped to over 30, which showed how the all-rounder has developed himself over the years.

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Riyan Parag’s last couple of IPL campaigns:

Parag, so far, has batted in 6 T20Is for India, where he mostly operated as a lower middle-order batsman. In those matches, he batted in 4 different positions. Parag’s versatility perhaps makes the selectors’ choice more tough, as they have to maintain a balance in the squad. Riyan can be used as a batter or as an all-rounder too. The requirements as per the team combination can be decisive for his future in Team India.

Riyan Parag’s batting performance according to positions for India:

The star cricketer of Rajasthan Royals is famous for his hard-hitting batting style. But his bowling stats for India are too good for a cricketer, who widely gains reputations as a batter. In 9 T20Is and 5 innings, the right-hander claimed 4 wickets, including a figure of 3/5.How the management wants to utilize the talented cricketer is now a crucial question—as a pure batsman or as an all-rounder, a puzzle yet to be solved. 

Riyan Parag’s bowling stats for India and Rajasthan Royals: