Young Indian cricketer Riyan Parag has finally broken his silence on the viral search history controversy that stirred social media following the conclusion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. Speaking in a recent interaction with City1016 Radio, Parag explained how the incident unfolded and shared his perspective on the controversy.
Parag recalled that after finishing an IPL match in Chennai, he joined a Discord call with his streaming team. The session took place before the match but was publicized later, leading to widespread attention. He revealed that one of his team members had previously attempted to set him up before the IPL, but the matter was quickly taken down.
“But then after the IPL, the hype was there, and I had a good season. I came and opened my stream. I didn’t have Spotify or Apple Music. Everything was deleted,” Parag stated during the interview.
Explaining what transpired during the live stream, the cricketer said, “So I went on YouTube to put on music, and I searched for music. But I didn’t know what was happening, and once the stream ended, I was like, ‘Oh s**t! This happened.’ It just got blown out of proportion.”
Parag further stated that he chose not to publicly clarify the situation at the time, believing that his explanation would not be well received.
The Viral Search History Incident
The controversy began in May last year when a clip from Parag’s live-streaming session went viral. The cricketer, who is also an avid gamer, had resumed his gaming livestream after returning from an IPL match.
Minutes into the session, while searching for copyright-free music on YouTube, Parag forgot to turn off screen-sharing. As a result, his search history was exposed to viewers. The top searches on his screen included his own name, followed by “Sara Ali Khan hot” and “Ananya Panday hot.” The revelation quickly attracted fan reactions, sparking online discussions.
The incident became a trending topic on social media, with users sharing screenshots and memes about Parag’s search history. While the cricketer initially remained silent, his recent interview marks the first time he has publicly addressed the controversy.