IND vs SA | Been waiting for this chance since many years, says Priyank Panchal after earning India call-up

SportsCafe Desk

BySportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

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After earning his call-up to the Test squad for the South Africa tour, Priyank Panchal has stated that he has been waiting for the chance for many years, and is honoured to be donning in Team India jersey. Panchal was named as the replacement for Rohit Sharma, who sustained a left hamstring injury.

Team India are scheduled to tour South Africa for three Tests and as many ODIs, and the BCCI had announced an 18-member Test squad for the trip. The governing body also appointed Rohit Sharma as Virat Kohli’s deputy in Test cricket, and the Indian opener was expected to begin his vice-captaincy stint during the upcoming red-ball series against South Africa. 

However, in a recent development, the BCCI announced that the white-ball skipper of Team India has been ruled out of the three-match Test series against Proteas due to a left hamstring injury. Meanwhile, BCCI named Priyank Panchal as the replacement for the injured Rohit Sharma for the red-ball series against the Proteas.

Panchal led the India A team against the South Africa team and scored 120 runs at an average of 40 from three innings with a high score of 96. The Gujarat batsman has so far played 100 first-class matches and has scored 7011 runs at an average of 45.52 and has got 24 centuries to his name. The 31-year-old will be a top contender for the opening role along with Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul in the three-match Test series against South Africa. Notably, Panchal was also added as a reserve member for the home series against England.

Meanwhile, Panchal has stated that he has been waiting for the chance for many years, and never expected of receiving the opportunity to play for the senior men’s team of Team 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 (to join the Team India bio-bubble)," Panchal told the Times of India in an interview.

"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 31-year-old further added that he had worked very hard to earn the achievement, and is hopeful of making an impact with the bat for Team India in South Africa. He also reckoned that playing for India A in South Africa recently, will definitely help to perform well.

"It's natural to feel a bit low after not getting a chance while I was scoring so many runs. However, my personality is such that I was always thinking: 'What am I lacking now as a batsman? If I want to play for India, then what should I do to become more impactful? What kind of a game is required in international cricket? I'm glad that all my hard work and persistence have finally paid off," he added.

"The experience of having played in South Africa recently will surely help me. I'm glad I've played for India 'A' for the last four-five years. That's a big stage where I've played most of the international bowlers," he further said.

Panchal also thanked the BCCI through Twitter for showing faith in him, and expressed his delight in featuring for the Indian cricket team. 

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