Guwahati, Jan 23: Assam all-rounder Riyan Parag has been honoured with the Lala Amarnath Award for his exceptional performance in the domestic circuit during the Naman Award by BCCI in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
Baba Aparajith of Tamil Nadu and RR Dhawan of Himachal Pradesh have also been chosen for this best-performing all-rounders award.
The current season has been incredible for Riyan. In the first two Ranji matches of the season, he smashed two back-to-back hundreds against Chhattisgarh and Kerala.
During his innings of 155 off 87 balls against Chhattisgarh, Riyan became the second cricketer after Rishabh Pant to score the fastest hundred in Ranji Trophy history. Leading Assam as captain, he reached the coveted ton mark in 56 balls.
Last year, for the first time, Assam reached the semifinal of the 2023–24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), the domestic T20 competition. The team was mostly dependent on Riyan Parag.
Riyan scored 510 runs in 10 matches to emerge as the highest run-getter. His average was 85 and the strike rate was 182.79. He hit 40 sixes and 31 fours. He also picked up 11 wickets in the tournament.
The phenomenal batting all-rounder smashed seven consecutive 50s and almost single-handedly took Assam to the semifinal. Against Bengal, he remained not out on 50 off 31 balls, scored a 33-ball 57 against Kerala, 61 off 34 balls against Bihar, an unbeaten 76 off 37 balls against Services, 53 not out in 29 balls against Sikkim, 76 in 39 balls against Chandigarh, and 72 off 37 against Himachal Pradesh.
In the process, Riyan overshadowed the likes of Virender Sehwag, Devon Conway, Hamilton Masakadza, Kamran Akmal, Jos Buttler, David Warner, and Wayne Madsen.
