"Honoured to be donning the team India jersey."
Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma has been replaced with Priyank Panchal for the upcoming three-match Test series against South Africa.
It comes after the vice-captain for the men’s Test team suffered a hamstring injury during a training session in Mumbai.
During net practice on December 13, 2021, Sharma had also been hit on his hand while taking throwdowns from Raghavendra.
He has now been replaced by India A team captain Priyank Panchal, which the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed later that day.
In a statement, they said:
“Team India Test vice-captain Rohit Sharma sustained a left hamstring injury during his training session here in Mumbai yesterday.
“He has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match Test series against South Africa.
“Priyank Panchal will replace Rohit Sharma in the Test squad.”
A senior BCCI sourced noted:
“Yes, Rohit did suffer an injury on his hand but even after that he had batted so we can presume that hand injury isn’t serious.
“But thereafter, it seemed the old hamstring problem resurfaced once again and it might take some time before he is fully fit and available.
“They are trying to sort it out. Hamstring injuries normally take four weeks which could effectively rule him out of Test series.
“There are some issues but the medical team is trying to sort it out.”
Panchal has 7,011 runs in 100 first-class matches at an average of 45.52, including 24 centuries and 25 fifties.
During the 2016-2017 season, he slammed as many as 1,310 runs, including five hundreds in ten matches at 87.33, helping Gujarat win the Ranji Trophy.
The 37-year-old opener thanked fans for their support and added:
“Honoured to be donning the team India jersey.”
Thank you everyone for all your good wishes. Honoured to be donning the team India jersey. Thank you for showing faith in me @BCCI . Looking forward to the series!
— Priyank Panchal (@PKpanchal9) December 14, 2021
Panchal is currently isolating in Mumbai and told the Times of India:
“It was just three days back that I returned home from South Africa.
“I hadn’t even unpacked properly, and now, I find myself landing in Mumbai.
“I’ve been doing well since the last few years for Gujarat and India ‘A’ and I’ve been waiting for this chance for many years.
“But I didn’t expect to get this chance. This is a pleasant surprise.”
The first test will be played at Centurion Park in Gauteng, South Africa on December 26, 2021.
The second Test is set to take place on January 3, 2022, at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
The final will be hosted at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town on January 15, 2022.
This will then be followed by three ODIs, scheduled to begin on January 19, 2022.
Virat Kohli will lead them, but he will not play the ODI series to celebrate his daughter’s first birthday.
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