Ranji Trophy 2016-17, quarter-finals: Gujarat’s Priyank Panchal achieves new high; goes past Ajinkya Rahane

Priyank Panchal goes past Ajinkya Rahane

Gujarat batsman Priyank Panchal achieved new high in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2016-17. Panchal has scored as many as 1,120 runs, becoming only the sixth highest run-scorer in season. Playing in his 51st First-Class match against Odisha, Panchal has amassed 3,341 runs, including 10 hundreds and 12 half-centuries. However, former India batsman VVS Laxman still tops the list with 1,415 runs in 1999-2000, followed by Shreyas Iyer (1,321 runs in 2015-16). Before the ongoing quarter-final contest, Panchal was at the 10th spot. His scores of 2 and 81 propelled him above Ajinkya Rahane, putting his team in a commanding position with a lead of 310 at the end of Day Three.

Updates: Ranji Trophy 2016-17, Quarter-Final, Day 3

Panchal has had a remarkable season so far. Panchal is comfortably sitting at the top, scoring at a swaggering average of 101.81 inclusive of 4 hundreds and as many fifties. However, if Gujarat qualify for the semi-final, Panchal would get the opportunity to further jump up in the elite list. Gujarat ended Day Three at 246 for 3, after bowling Odisha out for a mere 199 and taking a vital 64-run lead. Panchal, along with Samit Gohel, added 149 for the first wicket, scoring bulk of the runs in the partnership. While Gohel went on to score a century, Panchal was dismissed for 81.

As a matter of fact, Panchal has a double- and a triple-hundred to his name this season. Panchal made his First-Class debut back in 2008, at the age of 18. If Panchal continues his stellar performance, he might as well make it to the national team.