Uttar Pradesh adapted swiftly to adversity in their Ranji Trophy Group C fixture against Jharkhand, slotting left-arm spinner Shivam Sharma into the XI in place of all-rounder Prashant Veer. The change came after Veer dislocated his shoulder fielding moments before lunch on the first day, triggering the second Serious Injury Replacement of the season.
The rule, a game-changer for domestic cricket, was first tested in the Duleep Trophy via Maharashtra’s Saurabh Navale stepping in for Saurashtra’s Harvik Desai. Its Ranji debut belonged to Bengal’s Kazi Junaid Saifi, who filled in for Sudip Chatterjee during the Gujarat clash at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens in October.
Sharma proved his worth immediately, capturing 2/66 from 18.5 overs, dismissing key batter Kumar Kushagra who had smashed a hundred for Jharkhand.
Veer’s absence hits hard. The IPL sensation, snapped up by CSK for 14.2 crore, could miss up to three weeks, complicating matters ahead of IPL 2026’s March 26 start.
Trailing Jharkhand’s mammoth 561/6 declared – boosted by Shandeep Singh’s 139 and Kushagra’s 102 – UP closed day two at 32/3. This match is crucial for both sides’ quarterfinal aspirations in the revamped Ranji format.