Lucknow, Jan 23 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh's left-arm spinner Shivam Sharma on Friday was drafted into the side’s playing eleven as a Serious Injury Replacement for all-rounder Prashant Veer, who sustained a shoulder injury while fielding just before lunch on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match.

Veer, who recently fetched the highest bid for an uncapped player at last year’s IPL auction (Rs 14.2 crore by Chennai Super Kings), is expected to be sidelined for at least three weeks. This is only the second instance of the Serious Injury Replacement rule being invoked in the Ranji Trophy since its introduction ahead of the ongoing domestic season.

Shivam has bowled 18 overs so far in the match, conceding 66 runs and claiming the prized wicket of centurion, wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra. The timeline of Veer’s recovery will keep five-time champions CSK anxious, considering IPL 2026 is expected to begin from March 26.

Earlier, in October 2025, Bengal batter Kazi Junaid Saifi had come in as a serious injury replacement for injured opener Sudip Chatterjee during the Bengal-Gujarat Ranji Trophy fixture at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, thus becoming the first player to feature in a playing eleven of a Ranji Trophy game under the new rule.

Before this, the rule was first used in Duleep Trophy, when Saurashtra wicketkeeper Harvik Desai was replaced by Maharashtra’s Saurabh Nawale in the West Zone side. Meanwhile, Jharkhand tightened their grip on the ongoing contest at tea on day two at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.

The ongoing game is important for both teams to maintain their place in the race to Ranji Trophy knockouts. After opener Sharandeep Singh’s century on the first day, Kushagra added 102 runs to take Jharkhand close to the 500-run mark.

--IANS

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