Priyank Panchal replaces injured Rohit Sharma for South Africa test series

Rohit Sharma, the
Indian Test vice-captain, has been ruled out as his hamstring injury has
resurfaced. He will not be partaking in the three-test series in South Africa.
The injury returned after Sharma took a hit in his hand, during a practice
session in Mumbai. The BCCI has already announced that Priyank Panchal has been
called to take Sharma’s place in the series, which starts from December 26 at
the Centurion.

Notably, Panchal
recently scored a 96 in a test match against South Africa, which must have
instilled confidence in his performance.

A senior BCCI official
observed that Sharma had taken a hit during throwdowns from Raghavendra or
Raghu. Initially, he had continued batting after sustaining the injury, but
later it became apparent that the hamstring was troubling him. Since a
hamstring injury usually takes around four weeks to recover from, the BCCI has
effectively ruled out Sharma’s possibility of being part of the team for the
test matches.

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However, the degree of
Sharma’s injury is not clear yet. It might be a strain, which is far less
severe, than if the cricketer suffers a tear. His medical team is sorting the
issue out. Despite Sharma’s absence delivering a blow to the Indian batting
order, the team is ready to weather on, opening strongly with Mayank Agarwal
and KL Rahul. The latter could be the vice-captain, potentially.

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While Panchal was
called due to his recent performance, he is impressive in his own right. Not
only has he won the Ranji trophy, but also has 100 matches under his belt. Panchal
has been an India A captain and has long been vying for a reserve opener’s
slot. Now, Panchal will have a chance to show what he is made of and make a
mark if he takes the field in the upcoming test matches.