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NDTV
27-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
"It's Not Going To Happen": Heartbroken Domestic Stalwart Retires Over Unfulfilled Team India Dream
The competition in the Indian cricketing spectrum unarguably remains the toughest of all. While new heroes are unearthed every single year, very few manage to hold on to the upper echelon of Indian cricket. One such story is Priyank Panchal 's, a veteran of 127 FC matches, 97 List-A games, and 59 T20s. Despite being one of the most consistent batters in the domestic spectrum, Priyank couldn't succeed in making his debut for the Indian team across any of the three formats. On Monday, he decided to hang up his boots from First Class Cricket. Priyank came close to making his debut for India on the South Africa tour in 2021-22 but couldn't get the baggy blue cap. Admitting that 'it isn't going to happen anymore', the batter settled with whatever his cricketing fate had to offer so far. In an interview with the Hindustan Times, Priyank admitted that the topic of retirement was on his mind for a while. "For a long time, it was in my mind that I should retire. Because, when I started playing cricket, there was a driving force that I wanted to play for India. Along with the driving force, there was discipline and dedication. But after a point, I got practical, I didn't think that it was possible. I tried my best. I mean, I played for India A, and I played in the Ranji Trophy. But I realised it's time now. It's not going to happen anymore," he said. Over and out. Onto greener pastures now. — Priyank Panchal (@PKpanchal09) May 26, 2025 When asked if the failure to make India debut remains in his heart as a regret, Priyank didn't hesitate in admitting that it was the case. "Not being able to play is definitely a regret. But at the same time, it is also an achievement. If the cricketing level is from 1-10, I was there till 9. I couldn't play. Obviously, it is a regret. But sharing the dressing room with Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin was a big deal. It was a very professional environment. At the same time, it was very welcoming. It was very competitive. I learned a lot from that environment," the Gujarat batter said. Priyank also explained how even scoring hundreds after hundreds might not be enough for a player to secure an international spot. "Obviously, consistency is important. It is important to perform as a player. But it is also important to perform at the right time. In international cricket, timing is very important. If you are consistently scoring 100 after 100, but your team is not winning, that is not the right time. But even if you are scoring 30 runs but your team is winning, your contribution holds great value. That is the requirement for international cricket. I learned a lot from that," he asserted.
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
'I got practical, realised I won't be able to play for India anymore': Priyank Panchal on retirement
Priyank Panchal, the former captain of Gujarat and India A, announced his retirement on Monday, bringing a close to his illustrious 17-year cricketing journey. At 35, he stands alongside domestic cricket legends like Amol Mazumdar, Padmakar Shivalkar, Rajinder Goel, and Mithun Manhas, who, despite delivering outstanding performances season after season in prestigious tournaments such as the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy, never had the opportunity to don the Indian senior men's team jersey. Panchal finished his career with an impressive 8,856 runs in First-Class cricket, amassing 29 centuries and 34 fifties. Most notably, he captained Gujarat to their historic first Ranji Trophy triumph in the 2016-17 season and also led the team to victory in the Vijay Hazare Trophy the previous year. As Gujarat's second-highest run-scorer in FC cricket, trailing only Parthiv Patel, Panchal holds the record for the most centuries by a Gujarat player, with a remarkable tally of 23. Panchal played 127 FC matches, 97 List-A games, and 59 T20s throughout his career, and his trophy cabinet boasts a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title from the 2014-15 season. In his final domestic outing, Panchal played a stellar knock of 148 runs in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 semi-final against Kerala. Despite his heroics, heartbreak followed as Gujarat narrowly missed a spot in the final, with Kerala securing a slender first-innings lead. Hours after announcing his retirement, Panchal reflected warmly on his career, cherishing its greatest highlights. He shared fond memories of dressing room moments with cricketing icons Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid, and Ravichandran Ashwin during the 2021-22 South Africa tour, where he nearly made his Test debut as Rohit Sharma's replacement. For a long time, it was in my mind that I should retire. Because, when I started playing cricket, there was a driving force that I wanted to play for India. Along with the driving force, there was discipline and dedication. But after a point, I got practical, I didn't think that it was possible. I tried my best. I mean, I played for India A, and I played in the Ranji Trophy. But I realised it's time now. It's not going to happen anymore. I started playing cricket because my father also played cricket. I have seen him play cricket. So, he got me started in the coaching camp. He made me work really hard. He taught me the basics. He played a big role in my life. Unfortunately, he passed away when I was 15. But I had to carry on what he taught me. Along with the basics, I also had to improvise. Because there are different challenges at every stage. So, I kept learning at every stage. And I reached a level where I could even play for India. I started improving my game. Obviously, the basics came from him. Along with the basics, he always wanted me to play a Test match. He kept on teaching me how to work hard, be consistent, and use technique. He played a big role. I would say that I have learned a lot from cricket. Dedication, discipline, mindset. Whatever I do in my next career, there is a never-giving-up approach. At some point, I will feel like I have to give up. But cricket has taught me that for 17 years, there was a time when I had to give up. But no, I kept going. So, I have learnt consistency and patience. I think it will definitely help me in the next phase of my career. That season was a turning point in my career, as were the previous two seasons, in which I scored 650 runs and 550 runs, respectively. So, I had the confidence that if I can score 500 runs, I can score 600 runs. If I can score 600 runs, I can score 900-1000 runs. So, I had that confidence. I can say that it was a turning point in my career. I scored 1300 runs. After that, I achieved a lot of things. I learnt a lot of things. I did a captaincy in India A. I played for India A. I won two trophies. I was in the Indian team. So, it was a turning point. India A is important because the bowlers you play with and the team you play with are the ones who are going to play for India. I played with the likes of Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Mohammed Siraj. I can say that 70-80 percent of the squad who are playing now are from India A. It is like an exposure tour. It is completely for exposure. The bowlers and the opponents who play there are also from the international side. So, it comes with a lot of opportunity as well as a lot of responsibility. If you perform well, you get a call from India. That's why India A is so important. Not being able to play is definitely a regret. But at the same time, it is also an achievement. If the cricketing level is from 1-10, I was there till 9. I couldn't play. Obviously, it is a regret. But sharing the dressing room with Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin was a big deal. It was a very professional environment. At the same time, it was very welcoming. It was very competitive. I learned a lot from that environment. Obviously, consistency is important. It is important to perform as a player. But it is also important to perform at the right time. In international cricket, timing is very important. If you are consistently scoring 100 after 100, but your team is not winning, that is not the right time. But even if you are scoring 30 runs but your team is winning, your contribution holds great value. That is the requirement for international cricket. I learned a lot from that. The mindset of a test cricketer is different. I would advise the youngsters to never compare your T20 game with a Test match or ODI. It is completely different. There are two different things. One has a different mindset. If you learn to have a different mindset, you can achieve anything you want to achieve in Test cricket as well as in white-ball cricket. In Test cricket, there are more chances. It is very important to leave the ball. If a youngster has a different mindset and is able to adapt, they can achieve whatever they want. It was very heartbreaking for our team, but I would say that I am happy. We were very much happy to reach the semi-final. Obviously, our aim was to play in the final and win the tournament. But we couldn't do anything about it. In the end, our batter got out after the ball got deflected off the helmet. We were going pretty much on the right track, but these things can happen.
Mint
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Mint
'Not easy to be fearless playing first T20 game...': Pujara hails CSKs Mhatre
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 21 (ANI): Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara hailed youngster Ayush Mhatre for his "fearless and confident" cricket in his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut, saying that playing lot of cricket in Mumbai has helped the young cricketer. While CSK continued to disappoint as a unit with their sixth loss of the competition to Mumbai Indians (MI) at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, one of the positive spots was Mhatre's fearless knock of 32 in 15 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes. Mhatre was brought in as a replacement for injured skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and was played as an opener. His cameo, aside from half-centuries from Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja, played a crucial role in CSK posting 176/5 in their 20 overs. Speaking about Mhatre's knock at ESPNCricinfo's programme TimeOut, Pujara said it is not easy to be fearless when you are paying your first T20 game at a high level. "If you are not well-prepared and you are nervous when playing your first game, you do not get that confidence. We say they are fearless but it is not easy to be fearless when you are playing your first-ever T20 game, that too at the highest level. To do that, I am sure he is done enough preparation. I have not seen his journey so far, I do not know much about it, but the way he batted he seemed very confident. He's played a lot of cricket in Mumbai and that's definitely helped him," he added. Mhatre has played nine first-class matches and seven List-A games and made 962 runs for Mumbai. In nine first-class matches, he has made 504 runs in 16 innings at an average of 31.50, with two centuries and a fifty. His best score is 176. In seven List-A matches, he has made 458 runs at an average of 65.42, with two centuries and a fifty, with his best score being 181. In the ACC U19 Asia Cup for India, Mhatre made 176 runs in five matches at an average of 44.00, with two half-centuries. In his first full-fledged Ranji Trophy season for Mumbai this year, he made 471 runs in eight matches and 14 innings, averaging 33.64, with two centuries and a fifty. Mhatre also smashed List A cricket records when he scored 181 off 117 balls in the Vijay Hazare Trophy to become the youngest to hit 150 in a men's List A innings. Former Australian captain Aaron Finch has talked about some change in attitude of debut cricketers now. "Days are gone by [when] you walk into bat in your first game and you think, 'how can I get another game, how can I get myself into a position to get picked next game', and you get 30 off 25 and you go 'I have actually done a pretty good job for myself. But these kids now [say], 'you know what will get me another game - hitting three or four sixes'. Then you become an Impact Player. And you can put it on reels and it can go viral. That's what the new generation is all about," he concluded. In the match, a quickfire 32 in 15 balls (four boundaries and two sixes) by teen debutant Ayush Mhatre and fifties from Shivam Dube (50 in 32 balls, with two fours and four sixes) and Ravindra Jadeja (53* in 35 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) powered CSK to 176/5 in 20 overs. Jasprit Bumrah (2/25) was the top bowler for MI. During the run-chase, after a 63-run stand between Rohit and Ryan Rickelton (24 in 19 balls, with three fours and a six), Rohit (76* in 45 balls, with four boundaries and six sixes) and Suryakumar Yadav (68* in 30 balls, with six fours and five sixes) chasing down the total in 15.4 overs. With this win, MI have climbed to sixth place on the points table, with four wins in four matches, and a total of eight points. CSK, meanwhile, slipped to the bottom, having managed just two wins and lost six matches. (ANI) First Published: 21 Apr 2025, 05:38 PM IST
