"My ambition remains to wear India’s Test cap” – Priyank Panchal
Priyank Panchal’s impressive performances haven't yet caught the attention of the Indian selectors. Former national selector Sarandeep Singh lambasted the current committee in May for ignoring the Gujarat captain for the England tour.
Shubman Gill’s injury in England opened up a slot. But instead of Priyank Panchal, Prithvi Shaw was selected to replace his Under-19 World Cup teammate. It is believed the Gujarat opener, who was among the standbys during the home Tests against England, was in the fray as well.
Since the 2016-17 season, Priyank Panchal has been a serious contender for India’s opening slot. The season saw him become the first player from Gujarat to score a triple century in First-Class cricket. He also became the first player from the state to score over 1,000 runs in a single Ranji Trophy season. Led by Parthiv Patel, Gujarat lifted their first Ranji Trophy title that campaign.
With Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul going strong, Priyank Panchal’s wait was bound to be a long one. But he hasn't yet received an opportunity despite the trio falling out of contention. That's because the competition has increased, with the emergence of Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill and even Rohit Sharma. Even Hanuma Vihari opened in Australia in 2018-19; KL Rahul still remains a contender, and so does the uncapped Abhimanyu Easwaran.
Meanwhile, Panchal's good friend and statemate Jasprit Bumrah leapfrogged him to make the national team, quickly becoming a key player across all three formats. Panchal's junior state colleague Axar Patel won his India Test cap earlier this year.
Nevertheless, Priyank Panchal has continued to shine for India A, with one of his highlights being the hundred in New Zealand in early 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic brought a halt to first-class cricket in the country.
In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Priyank Panchal said that he is not bothered by a situation which he cannot control as he continues to dream of playing Tests for India.
Excerpts from Priyank Panchal's exclusive interview:
Q. Your main forte is red-ball cricket. With no First-Class cricket in India for over 15 months now, how have you been keeping yourself fit and match-ready for the longer format?
Priyank Panchal: I am working on my red-ball cricket, as I feel there are some areas I need to work on. I am also working hard on my white-ball cricket. With no competitive matches going on, I practice in open nets and match simulations. The best you can do is to get as close to a match situation as possible. I keep myself match-ready by practising match simulation.
Q. Do you think the hiatus will impact the preparations of cricketers?
Priyank Panchal: Not just cricket, the COVID-19 situation has impacted the preparations of all the athletes. There remains uncertainty, and we don’t know how to control the situation.
Q. As one of the top red-ball players in the country, what’s your view on the World Test Championship?
Priyank Panchal: It’s a fantastic concept, and I am glad we have something we can call a red-ball World Cup. Along with the regular World Cups, this has become an important tournament now. We did very well to reach the final, but the opponent (New Zealand) were very strong in English conditions. But it’s great India made it to the final.
Q. What do you think India could have done differently in the WTC final?
Priyank Panchal: New Zealand are a top-class side who outplayed us in all three departments: batting, bowling and fielding. But we should look at it as a whole. We've played fantastic cricket over the past two to three years and made it to the final. The Australian tour was phenomenal, and we even came back from 0-1 to win 3-1 against England. It was just that one game where a brilliant team beat us, but the overall journey for India in the WTC was terrific.
Q. With Shubman Gill injured and discussions about openers in recent times, did you feel you had a chance to make it to England? It’s believed your name was discussed by the selectors.
Priyank Panchal: I don’t know if my name was discussed or not. But I certainly hope to get my chance (to play for India) shortly. What’s in my control is to work hard and prepare myself for the challenges. I am just focusing on things that I can control and remain consistent with my performances.
Q. You are 31 now. For almost five years, you have been talked about as a probable Test opener. With slots opening up in the national side, do you feel the pandemic has been sort of a roadblock? What are your current ambitions?
Priyank Panchal: I am not sure if the pandemic has been a roadblock or not. You never know when an opportunity will come up, and I remain very optimistic about it. I have been talked about as a probable Test opener for a long time, and I am grateful for the fact that I could be a part of this competition.
I have worked really hard and tried to be consistent in the Ranji Trophy and the India A matches. I will continue to focus on consistency. My ambition remains to wear the Indian Test cap and to represent the country.
Q. 2019-20 wasn’t the best season for you in the Ranji Trophy. But you had been scoring plenty of runs before that and for India A. How do you handle the national-team rejection despite being one of the top openers in the country? Have the selectors spoken to you?
Priyank Panchal: If you look at my performances over the past five years, they have been good. Rejections are obviously bitter pills, but we as athletes can’t hold on to that. As a person, I don’t look at the negatives. There are plenty of positives around me too. So, I control what I can; focus on the positives around me and dwell on them.
Q. Do you think Ranji Trophy performances matter as much? Or IPL form misleads most of the time?
Priyank Panchal: Obviously, Ranji Trophy performances matter. I was able to play for India A because of my consistent performances in the Ranji Trophy. Whichever domestic competition you play – IPL, Ranji, etc., you need to make the most of the opportunities and perform in order to help your team.
Q. Last season, we heard that you had been working on your white-ball game. How is it coming up? Do you harbour any IPL ambitions?
Priyank Panchal: Yes, I am working very hard on my white-ball game. Much of it is also the mindset and about adding shots to my game. I want to leave a mark on all three formats of the game. I am trying to work on my mindset in order to be an impactful cricketer across formats. I do have IPL ambitions and hope I will get my chance.
Q. How’s been life for Gujarat cricket post-Parthiv Patel? How are you handling the responsibility of captaincy and filling the big boots (not literally)?
Priyank Panchal: We have learned a lot from Parthiv-bhai, and he’s always there to guide us. I like being the captain, as it gives me the added responsibility when I am batting or fielding. I like the job and look for constant improvements, like taking feedback from players. Captaincy is a challenging task, but I enjoy it.
As a team, we are excited about the upcoming full-fledged season. The camp has already started and so have our preparations for the same.