Harshit Rana continues his impressive run in domestic cricket, flaunting his all-round skills in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024-25. Harshit shone with both bat and ball in Delhi’s game against Assam at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on October 28, Monday.
On Day 1 of the contest, he picked up a five-wicket haul, finishing with figures of 5/80, which helped Delhi bundle Assam out for 330 runs. This marked his second five-wicket haul in first-class cricket in just his 10th outing.
Following his brilliance with the ball, Harshit also displayed his batting prowess. The 22-year-old, who already has a century and a fifty to his name in first-class cricket, brought up his second half-century in style. Batting at No. 8, Harshit scored a crucial 59 off 78 balls at a strike rate of 75.64, laced with four boundaries and three sixes. His vital lower-order contribution ensured that Delhi took the lead over Assam’s first-innings total of 330.
India’s squad announced:
Harshit ready for the big stage?
This stellar performance couldn’t have come at a better time, as it coincides with his maiden Test call-up to the Indian squad. Harshit was named in India’s jumbo 18-member squad for the five-match Test series against Australia, a decision that initially raised eyebrows, with many questioning his limited experience in red-ball cricket. However, the young pacer silenced his critics with this standout performance, justifying his selection and proving his readiness for the big stage.
Among the 18-member squad, BCCI named three uncapped Test players, namely Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Abhimanyu Easwaran. The cricketing world is well-aware of Nitish Kumar and Harshit Rana’s exploits in white ball cricket, especially the T20s. The two youngsters can’t find any bigger stage than this to share the same dressing room with the star players and that too in a high-profile series.
India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar series
Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
