Riyan Parag debuts as first Assam cricketer in national team
Guwahati, Jul 6: All-rounder Riyan Parag became the first cricketer from Assam to play for the national team at the senior level as he made his debut against Zimbabwe in a T-20 tie at Harare on Saturday.
“A son's dream takes flight, and a father's heart swells with pride! Riyan Parag, you've made Assam proud! And what makes it even more special is receiving his Cap from the person who inspired him the most - his father!,” Assam Cricket Association posted on X, congratulating the young player.
Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal termed it a historic day for the state.
“Our very own @ParagRiyan makes his debut in the Indian Cricket Team as he plays his first T20I match for #TeamIndia against Zimbabwe at Harare,” he wrote on the micro-blogging site.
“#RiyanParag becomes the first Assamese male cricketer to play for India. Proud moment; may be reach the pinnacle of sporting glory,” the former Assam CM added.
The 22-year-old, who did not bowl in his first international match, failed to impress with the bat, being caught out for 2 runs off 3 balls in the fifth over as India chased Zimbabwe’s score of 115 runs.
Zimbabwe pulled off an upset of massive proportions when they stunned the Indian team brimming with an array of Next-Gen stars by 13 runs in the first T20I of the five-match series here on Saturday.
Riyan, who was a part of the Indian Under-19 team that won the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, was named in the Indian national squad for the Zimbabwe tour last month.
He has been representing Assam in domestic cricket since 2017 and has been a member of the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League since 2018.
Another cricketer from the state, Uma Chetry, had been earlier named in the Indian women's team but is yet to make her international debut.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
