Meet Priyank Panchal, the batter replacing injured Rohit Sharma in India’s Test squad vs South Africa

After being named as Indian Test team’s vice-captain, Rohit Sharma was all set to be the deputy to Virat Kohli in the series against South Africa, however, the opening batter has now been ruled out of the Proteas tour. 

The now limited-overs skipper picked up a hamstring injury during a recent net practice session in Mumbai and he has been now replaced by Priyank Panchal, a batting heavyweight in the Indian domestic circuit.

Who is Priyank Panchal?

After getting a call-up due to Rohit Sharma sustaining an injury, all want to know about who is the new batsman who would be replacing him in the Indian squad. The lad was part of India’s A team which played against South Africa where he notched up scores of 96, 24 and 0. 

This is the 31-year-old’s second call-up into the Indian Test squad and was earlier part of the team’s extended squad for the four-Test series against England at home as a standby player.

Talking about Panchal’s domestic achievements, he is one of the best opening batters going around. He has a First-Class experience of 100 matches and has scored over 7000 runs including 24 centuries and 25 fifties.

He even has a best of 314 not out, which he smashed against Punjab in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy season. Panchal had piled over 1300 runs and ended as the leading run-getter in the tournament.

Not just batting, if needed, Panchal can also be a handy right-arm medium-pacer. Although he has not more than 22 wickets, he could be capable of delivering his team the odd breakthrough. 

The batter had also led Gujarat to their maiden Ranji Trophy title in the 2016-17 season, and he followed it with another superlative show in the next season, as he became the team’s leading run-getter with 542 runs from seven matches.

In the 2018-19 Ranji trophy, Panchal scored 898 runs in nine matches and in the Vijay Hazare Trophy that year, he scored 367 runs from eight matches. 

Before joining the India A team in South Africa, Panchal was among the runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well, as he scored 134 against Maharashtra, 66 against Kerala and an unbeaten 43 against Railways.

After being named as Indian Test team’s vice-captain, Rohit Sharma was all set to be the deputy to Virat Kohli in the series against South Africa, however, the opening batter has now been ruled out of the Proteas tour. 

The now limited-overs skipper picked up a hamstring injury during a recent net practice session in Mumbai and he has been now replaced by Priyank Panchal, a batting heavyweight in the Indian domestic circuit.

Who is Priyank Panchal?

After getting a call-up due to Rohit Sharma sustaining an injury, all want to know about who is the new batsman who would be replacing him in the Indian squad. The lad was part of India’s A team which played against South Africa where he notched up scores of 96, 24 and 0. 

This is the 31-year-old’s second call-up into the Indian Test squad and was earlier part of the team’s extended squad for the four-Test series against England at home as a standby player.

Talking about Panchal’s domestic achievements, he is one of the best opening batters going around. He has a First-Class experience of 100 matches and has scored over 7000 runs including 24 centuries and 25 fifties.

He even has a best of 314 not out, which he smashed against Punjab in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy season. Panchal had piled over 1300 runs and ended as the leading run-getter in the tournament.

Not just batting, if needed, Panchal can also be a handy right-arm medium-pacer. Although he has not more than 22 wickets, he could be capable of delivering his team the odd breakthrough. 

The batter had also led Gujarat to their maiden Ranji Trophy title in the 2016-17 season, and he followed it with another superlative show in the next season, as he became the team’s leading run-getter with 542 runs from seven matches.

In the 2018-19 Ranji trophy, Panchal scored 898 runs in nine matches and in the Vijay Hazare Trophy that year, he scored 367 runs from eight matches. 

Before joining the India A team in South Africa, Panchal was among the runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well, as he scored 134 against Maharashtra, 66 against Kerala and an unbeaten 43 against Railways.