'Don't even want to watch the T20 World Cup': Riyan Parag's staggering 'biased' remark

Amid concerns of a low turnout at the venues, the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup kicked off on Sunday, with both the host nations securing convincing wins. While the USA beat Canada by seven wickets, riding on a sensational knock from Aaron Jones at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, West Indies survived a scare on a tricky two-paced track in Guyana against Papua New Guinea. India, meanwhile, will begin their campaign on June 5 against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.

Rising sensation Riyan Parag, who was in the conversation for a spot in India's T20 World Cup squad after a phenomenal show for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2024, on Sunday, was asked to pick his semifinalists for the ICC tournament. But the youngster refrained from answering as he admitted that he doesn't have any interest in watching the T20 World Cup tournament, and would have only be bothered about the possible top four had he been part of the squad.

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"It will be a biased answer (prediction on top four teams) but to be very honest I don't even want to watch the World Cup. I'll just see who is winning it at the end and I'll be happy. When I will play the World Cup, I will think about top four and all of that," Parag said in a chat with The Bharat Army.

The 22-year-old has a superb IPL season this year, scoring 573 runs at an average of 52.09 and a strike-rate of 149.21, and is confident in breaking into the Indian team at some point in the near future.

"At some point, you'll have to take me, right? So that is my belief, I'm going to play for India," Parag was quoted as saying by PTI. "I don't really care when. [Even] when I was not scoring runs - I said this in an [earlier] interview as well that I am going to play for India.

"That is me believing in myself. That is not me being arrogant. That is what my plan was with my dad [former Railways and Assam player Parag Das], when I started playing cricket when I was like 10-years old. We were going to play for India regardless of anything."

India will travel to Zimbabwe after the T20 World Cup and with most regulars likely to be rested from the format, the selectors are expected to send a young squad and Parag could be among them.