"Why are you making him roam around with the team when you are not playing him?" - Aakash Chopra questions Harshit Rana's handling ahead of BGT 2024
Aakash Chopra has questioned Team India's handling of Harshit Rana ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He noted that the Delhi pacer has been repeatedly picked in the Indian squad but has not been given a game.
India will face Australia in a five-match Test series, with the first game starting in Perth on November 22. Harshit is part of India's 18-member squad selected for the tour Down Under.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener questioned why Harshit is being made to roam around with the team but not being made part of the XI.
"It's a very curious case with Harshit Rana. It needs to be spoken about because he is part of teams, he went to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, was also with the team in India, been around the Test team, but they are not playing him matches. If you are not playing him matches, he could have been sent with India A," he said (4:05).
"He wasn't sent there as well. He went to play one Ranji Trophy match and then he was called back to be with the team. Why are you making him roam around with the team when you are not playing him?" Chopra added.
Harshit was among the four traveling reserves named for India's recent home Test series against New Zealand. He was released to play a Ranji Trophy game for Delhi but was recalled again before the final Test.
"How will you think about playing him ahead of Prasidh Krishna?" - Aakash Chopra on Harshit Rana
![Harshit Rana has played only one competitive game in around two months. [P/C: BCCI Domestic/X]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/11/0f58d-17312152468425-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra questioned whether Harshit Rana can compete with Prasidh Krishna for a place in India's playing XI during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
"Prasidh Krishna is taking wickets there (for India A vs Australia A). He is part of the Test team. Harshit is also part of the team but he has never played in Australia. So how will you think about playing him ahead of Prasidh Krishna? There are four fast bowlers - (Jasprit) Bumrah, (Mohammed) Siraj, Akash Deep, and then there is Prasidh Krishna," he said (4:30).
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Harshit is unlikely to feature in India's potential three-pronged seam attack.
"There is a question which three among these will play, but Harshit Rana is not coming in that list at all because he is not playing cricket at all. I am extremely surprised that you are keeping him but not playing him. So what exactly is the plan for Harshit Rana? I really want to know. Maybe the nation also wants to know," Chopra observed.
Krishna gave a decent account of himself in the first two unofficial Tests between India A and Australia A. He picked up four wickets (3/59 and 1/27) across the two innings in the first game and accounted for six dismissals (4/50 and 2/37) in the second match.