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.

Excerpts:

Retirement is a very personal decision for every cricketer. For how long were you pondering about stepping away from the game?

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.

In your retirement announcement, you spoke about your father and the sacrifices he made. Can you tell us a little more about the role your dad played in your career?

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.

You made your first-class debut way back in 2008. You represented Gujarat and the West Zone for 17 years. How do you look back at your career?

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.

Would you say that winning the Ranji Trophy in 2016-17 was the biggest moment of your career so far? With the bat, you were Gujarat's MVP, scoring 1,300 runs

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.

You came close to making your debut for India on the South Africa tour in 2021-22. But somehow, luck evaded you. Is there any sense of regret for not getting to play for India?

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.

What would you advise young cricketers today as it is quite easy to get lost in the glamorous world of T20 cricket?

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.

Lastly, I have to ask you about your last first-class match (the Ranji semi-final against Kerala this season). You scored 148 runs but missed out on the final because of Kerala taking a two-run lead. How heartbreaking was it?

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.