Former Gujarat and India A captain Priyank Panchal has announced his retirement from first-class cricket on Monday (May 26).
Priyank Panchal announces retirement
Panchal played 127 first-class matches, scoring 8,856 runs at an average of 45.18. Of those, 6,992 at 45.40 have come for Gujarat, just shy of Parthiv Patel’s record tally of 7,011. Beyond his red-ball success, he has also compiled 3,672 List A runs at an average of 40.80, including eight centuries and 21 fifties. In T20s, he has scored 1,522 runs at 28.71 across 59 matches, with nine half-centuries.
Though a statement released by the Gujarat Cricket Association claimed Panchal had bid farewell to all forms of cricket, Panchal clarified nearly an hour later – mentioning only his "retirement from first-class cricket" – without specifying whether he would continue playing in white-ball formats.
"Growing up, everyone looks up to their father, idolises them, gets inspired, and tries to impress them. I was no different," wrote Panchal on X.
"My dad was a long-lasting source of strength for me. I was moved by the energy that he gave me, the way he encouraged me to pursue my dreams, to rise from a relatively small city and dare to aspire to wear the India cap one day. He left us long ago, and it was a dream I carried with me for nearly two decades, season after season, until today.
"I, Priyank Panchal, announce my retirement from first-class cricket with immediate effect. It's an emotional moment. It's an enriching moment, and it's a moment which fills me with a lot of gratitude."
Over and out. Onto greener pastures now. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/5uMiZVprql
— Priyank Panchal (@PKpanchal09) May 26, 2025
A Test debut that never materialised for Panchal
Panchal’s breakthrough year came in the 2016 -17 Ranji Trophy when he captained Gujarat to a title win. He led from the front with 1,310 runs, with a highest of 314 not out. Then it was the second-best tally in a single edition after VVS Laxman’s 1,415 in 1999-2000.
His red-ball exploits earned him a place in the India A side, which he captained in several matches. He received a couple of Test call-ups, coming closest to a debut during India's 2021-22 South Africa tour when he was named a replacement for the injured Rohit Sharma. The other call-up was when he was announced as one of the back-up openers alongside Abhimanyu Easwaran in the 2021 home series against England. However, Panchal never got picked in the India XI.
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