Riyan Parag receives India debut cap from his father in emotional ceremony – Watch

Receiving Team India’s iconic blue cap for the first time is an honor few experience. But the moment became even more special for Riyan Parag as he was presented with his first India cap by his own father, before making his debut in India’s first T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare. Riyan Parag’s father Parag Das is a former first-class cricketer from Assam. Riyan also became the first player from Assam to play for the Indian cricket team.

Parag finished as the third highest run-scorer in IPL 2024 with 573 runs for Rajasthan Royals, who finished third. His tremendous season, hitting no. 4, made it impossible for the selectors to ignore him as a young Indian squad was picked for the five-match T20I tour to Zimbabwe.

Watch: Riyan Parag gets his first India cap from his father

A son’s dream flies and a father’s heart fills with pride! Riyan Parag, you have made Assam proud!

And what makes it even more special is receiving the hat from the person who inspired him the most: his father!#TeamIndia #ZIMvIND #RiyanParag pic.twitter.com/PedtOTn3Z7

– Assam Cricket Association (@assamcric) July 6, 2024

Parag was not the only one to make his debut in the first T20I as Abhishek Sharma and Rajasthan Royals teammate Dhruv Jurel also received their first T20I caps.

Parag will have to make a great impression in the Zimbabwe series to remain present in India’s T20I set-up. This is because the world’s No.2 batsman Suryakumar Yadav currently holds the no. 4th place in India’s batting line-up in the shortest format.

India vs Zimbabwe

This is India’s first series after their historic 2024 T20 World Cup victory in the Caribbean and the USA. After the tournament, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirement from T20Is, leaving the door open for the youngsters to claim a regular place in India’s T20I XI.

Shubman Gill will captain Team India for the first time. It is his first experience as an international captain, having already become captain of the Gujarat Titans ahead of IPL 2024.

Three players from India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad are also part of the Zimbabwe squad: Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube.