Xtra Time Web Desk : The current India A Captain Priyank Panchal got his maiden Team India call up on Monday after Rohit Sharma’s omission from the Test squad for the upcoming series against the Proteas. The Gujarat opener who has over 100 first class games and 7000 runs in domestic cricket, is an experienced customer and will be a contender for the opening spot alongside KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal in South Africa.
Expressing his happiness and gratitude in an interview, Panchal said, “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. 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,”
About his experience in playing in South Africa, the batter 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.”
However, it will be interesting to see if the 31 year old gets a chance to showcase his talent in the Proteas tour.