3 reasons why India must play Harshit Rana in 1st T20I vs Zimbabwe
Harshit Rana received his maiden national call-up when he was picked for the first two T20Is against Zimbabwe. The right-arm pacer was not a first choice in the squad. However, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shivam Dube and Sanju Samson were set to travel back to India from Barbados before joining the side in Zimbabwe.
As a result, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was forced to make three changes by including Sai Sudarshan, Jitesh Sharma and Harshit Rana for the first two games against Zimbabwe.
Fresh from the T20 World Cup triumph, a new-look Indian team is set to tour Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series, beginning Saturday, July 6, under the captaincy of Shubman Gill.
This could very well embark on the start of a new era of Indian cricket in T20Is with the likes of Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja stepping away and the new lot being given opportunities with another T20 World Cup just two years away.
The inclusion of Harshit Rana could very well prove to be crucial for India considering him a future prospect, particularly in the shorter format of the game. With the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh not a part of the tour, he could also lead the pace attack.
On that note, here are three possible reasons why India must try Harshit Rana in the opening T20I in Zimbabwe.
3 reasons why India must play Harshit Rana in 1st T20I vs Zimbabwe
#3 Remarkable IPL season
The fast bowler hailing from Delhi made his Indian Premier League debut in 2022 with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He picked up a total of only six wickets in his first two seasons combined.
However, the 2024 season was a defining one for Harshit Rana. In a team with the likes of Andre Russell and Mitchel Starc, Rana stood out with his exceptional bowling skills and performances.
He picked up 19 wickets from 13 matches with best figures of 3/24. As KKR went on to lift the title, the 22-year-old pacer played a vital role with his consistent wicket-taking ability, also performing well in the final. He ended the season as the fifth-highest wicket-taker and the joint-highest wicket-taker for KKR.
#2 Versatility with the ball
Harshit Rana added an edge to Kolkata's pace battery in the IPL 2024 season. He displayed his skill-set with his ability to move the ball away and angle it back in as well.
In addition, Rana's effective use of variations were quite impressive. He not only smartly varied his pace but also used the slower deliveries, particularly the slower off-cutters to trouble the batters.
While he was known for bowling at a high pace, the fast bowler also proved his versatility in being able to use variations and bowl at the death under pressure as well, delivering more often than not.
#1 Ability to bat
With the Indian team constantly looking to make a shift towards playing more all-rounders in the T20I side, Harshit's case gets a boost with his ability to bat as well.
For the unversed, Harshit Rana has 343 runs from nine first-class innings in domestic cricket. Moreover, these runs have come at a healthy average of 49, also with a high-score of an unbeaten 122.
Given his ability to bat, he could certainly contribute down the order, adding more stability to the line-up and increasing the batting depth of the side.
He can translate his batting abilities in first-class cricket into the shorter format. With teams on the lookout for bowlers who can bat a bit as well, the talented youngster could be groomed as a perfect fit, keeping the 2026 T20 World Cup in mind.