'Follow your path and be normal' - Priyank Panchal reveals important advice he received from Rahul Dravid

Priyank Panchal has been roped in as cover for Rohit Sharma who will miss the Test series against South Africa with a hamstring injury. Panchal has now opened up on the lessons that he learnt from the current Indian head coach, Rahul Dravid when he was the skipper of the India A side in the year 2019.

Panchal said that after he was appointed as the captain of the India A team, he was highly excited, and actually forgot what is to be done as a leader.  But then, it was Dravid who told Panchal to be normal and added that he has the leadership trait in him. Panchal revealed that Dravid advised him to follow his own path, and added that this advice from the cricket legend helped him.

“I was very excited during training sessions, thinking that now that I am captain, I have to do this and do that. In excitement, you forget what you really want to do. So Rahul sir had told me, ‘Just be normal.

You have it naturally within you, and that is why you have been given this job. You don’t need to change your game at all. Just follow your path, the way you have performed in domestic cricket all these years, just do that here.’ That really helped me,” Panchal was quoted as saying to The Indian Express.

I have seen how hard Rahul sir trained at the NCA Academy: Priyank Panchal

Priyank Panchal also added that he has seen how Dravid would train during his playing days at the National Cricket Academy. Panchal also revealed that he has followed Dravid from the time he began his career, and considers himself lucky to have interacted with the current Indian head coach.

Panchal concluded by stating that when Dravid tells him something, he absorbs it instantly, as the cricketing colossus has so much experience.

“I have seen how hard Rahul sir would train at the NCA during my Under-15 days. I have followed him ever since I began my career. I have been lucky to have interacted with him while with India A. When he says something, you absorb it instantly as a cricketer, because it comes from someone who has had such a long cricketing journey and so much experience,” concluded Panchal.