“I have cried in the bathroom because I wasn’t scoring runs” - Riyan Parag recalls a bad phase of his career

Riyan Parag opened up on the mental toll of his poor IPL form, admitting he "cried in the bathroom." He contrasted his domestic success with IPL struggles and claimed his current absence from the India squad is solely due to a shoulder injury.

By Jack 06 Dec 2025 in Cricket

New Update

Rajasthan Royals star batter Riyan Parag has opened up on not making the cut into the Indian white-ball sides for more than a year, stating that it is due to a troublesome shoulder and not a dip in his ability.

Speaking exclusively to Sportstar after propelling Assam to a 58-run win over Vidarbha in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26 season in Lucknow, the batting all-rounder emphasised that he is aiming to play for India in both white-ball formats.

“I felt I was pretty decent for India. This is my belief, or overconfidence; you can say whatever you want. But I know that because my shoulder was injured, I am currently not playing for India. Otherwise, I think I can play both white-ball formats. Whenever I am fully fit, you will see me in India colours again,” Parag told Sportstar.

For the unversed, Riyan Parag last played for Team India in a T20I in October 2024 against Bangladesh. While there were talks about him being picked for the five-match T20I series against South Africa, he couldn’t make it to the final squad.

Furthermore, Parag stated not to read too much into his SMAT numbers when it comes to IPL readiness. Interestingly, the all-rounder could score only 39 runs at an average of 7.80 from five games in the ongoing SMAT season.

“I have been through these phases too many times. In domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL), there have been three to four years where I have had to struggle a lot. I am also returning from an injury, so I have to be mindful about that,” he said.

“I had two SMAT seasons where I scored at an average of 45-50 in seven matches, and then couldn’t score 70 runs in the IPL in 14 matches. I have cried in the bathroom because I wasn’t scoring runs. I have wondered whether I should practise or not practise at all, or whether I should go on a vacation,” he noted.

“This [Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy] is all for muscle memory. If I score runs, then it is very good. If I don’t score, it is not like I won’t score in the IPL. Because it has happened that after scoring here, I have not scored there,” he concluded.

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