Who is Shivam’s Replacement for Injured Veer in Uttar Pradesh’s Ranji Trophy Match Against Jharkhand?
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Key Takeaways
Lucknow, Jan 23 (NationPress) Uttar Pradesh's left-arm spinner Shivam Sharma was called up to the playing eleven on Friday as a Serious Injury Replacement for all-rounder Prashant Veer, who suffered a shoulder injury while fielding shortly before lunch on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match.
Veer, who recently attracted the highest bid for an uncapped player in last year’s IPL auction (Rs 14.2 crore by Chennai Super Kings), is anticipated to be out for at least three weeks. This marks only the second time the Serious Injury Replacement rule has been utilized in the Ranji Trophy since its introduction at the start of the current domestic season.
So far in the match, Shivam has bowled 18 overs, yielding 66 runs and taking the crucial wicket of centurion and wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra. The timeline for Veer's recovery will keep the five-time champions CSK on edge, particularly with IPL 2026 expected to kick off on March 26.
Previously, in October 2025, Bengal batter Kazi Junaid Saifi was brought in as a serious injury replacement for the injured opener Sudip Chatterjee during a Bengal-Gujarat Ranji Trophy match at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, becoming the first player to feature in a Ranji Trophy playing eleven under this new rule.
The rule was first applied in the Duleep Trophy, where Saurashtra wicketkeeper Harvik Desai was replaced by Maharashtra’s Saurabh Nawale in the West Zone side. Meanwhile, Jharkhand solidified their position in the ongoing match at tea on day two at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.
This match is crucial for both teams as they vie to maintain their standing in the race for the Ranji Trophy knockouts. Following opener Sharandeep Singh’s century on the first day, Kushagra added 102 runs, bringing Jharkhand close to the 500-run mark.