IPL 2024: Fans criticise Gavaskar for lashing out at Riyan Parag

Riyan Parag bowed out of IPL 2024 as the third-highest run-scorer of the tournament, with 573 runs from 16 matches. However, his performance in the crucial Qualifier 2 match against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) left many, including former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, fuming. Parag scored just six runs off 10 balls before being dismissed by SRH’s impact substitute Shahbaz Ahmed.

Chasing 176, Rajasthan Royals (RR) struggled to find boundaries, going 22 balls without a four or six before Parag decided to take on Shahbaz. His attempted aggressive shot resulted in a top-edge, caught by Abhishek at deep mid-wicket.

“Seriously, seriously? What’s the use of all the talent if you are not going to think?…”

Gavaskar, on commentary duties, was critical of Parag’s approach, questioning the utility of his talent if he wasn’t going to “think” through his decisions. Parag’s dismissal was pivotal as it sparked a collapse for RR, who lost three wickets in the space of 15 balls. This collapse ultimately led to their downfall, as the 2008 champions couldn’t recover and SRH secured a 36-run victory to advance to the final.

“Seriously, seriously? What’s the use of all the talent if you are not going to think? What kind of shot is that, seriously? So much talent. If you don’t have the temperament, it won’t work. So what if you had a few dot balls? You can still make up for it,” Gavaskar was heard as saying on commentary.

Shahbaz Ahmed, who came in as an impact substitute, was the star for SRH. He contributed 18 runs and took three crucial wickets, returning figures of 3-23. His performance earned him the player of the match accolade, with SRH skipper Pat Cummins revealing it was coach Daniel Vettori’s decision to bring in Ahmed.

Earlier in the game, SRH, known for their record IPL totals of 277 and 287 this season, struggled with their batting until Heinrich Klaasen boosted the score with his fourth fifty of the season. Rajasthan’s Trent Boult made early inroads by dismissing Abhishek in the first over and taking two more wickets in the fifth, sending back Rahul Tripathi (37) and Aiden Markram (1).

Fast bowler Avesh Khan also played a key role, taking two wickets in two balls, prompting SRH to bring in Shahbaz Ahmed. Despite the early setbacks, SRH managed to post a defendable total and, with Shahbaz’s crucial contributions, secured their place in the final. Fans on Twitter shared mixed reactions, with some criticizing Gavaskar’s harsh words for Parag, while others echoed the former captain’s sentiments about the young player’s approach.

Fans criticize Gavaskar for harsh comments on Parag

Following Sunil Gavaskar’s scathing remarks on Riyan Parag’s dismissal, fans took to Twitter to express their discontent. Many felt Gavaskar was overly harsh, arguing that he overlooked Parag’s consistent performances throughout the tournament.

Many felt that Gavaskar’s comments on Parag’s temperament were unwarranted and ignored the context of the match and Parag’s crucial contributions to his team throughout the season.