In a gripping Ranji Trophy Elite Group C battle at India Raina Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Uttar Pradesh pulled off a tactical switch by bringing in spinner Shivam Sharma for the injured Prashant Veer. The all-rounder hurt his shoulder while fielding right before lunch on day one, prompting the use of the new Serious Injury Replacement policy.
This regulation, rolled out ahead of the season, ensures teams aren’t handicapped by unforeseen injuries. It debuted in the Duleep Trophy with Saurabh Navale replacing Harvik Desai, and saw its first Ranji application when Bengal called up Kazi Junaid Saifi for Sudip Chatterjee in a match against Gujarat last October.
Shivam Sharma hit the ground running, snaring two wickets in 18.5 overs at a cost of 66 runs. Among his victims was Jharkhand’s star keeper-batter Kumar Kushagra, who had notched up a century earlier.
The blow for Veer is particularly stinging. Fresh off a blockbuster IPL deal with CSK worth 14.2 crores, he’s likely sidelined for at least three weeks, casting a shadow over his preparations for IPL 2026 starting March 26.
Jharkhand dominated with a first-innings declaration at 561/6, powered by Shandeep Singh’s 139 and Kushagra’s 102. UP, in response, ended day two at 32/3. With knockout spots on the line, every session counts in this high-stakes showdown.
