He made his way into the Indian team in all three formats because of his good performances in the IPL.
The Asia Cup 2025 has started, and India will play their opening match today, September 10, against the United Arab Emirates. Kolkata Knight Riders pacer Harshit Rana could also find a place in the Playing XI.
Harshit made his way into the Indian team in all three formats because of his good performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The league gave him the chance to show his skills, get exposure, and become a regular part of the national team.
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Harshit was asked about his biggest moment, which came in KKR’s first match of IPL 2024 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. SRH needed 209 runs to win, and with one over left, they required only 13 runs.
Heinrich Klaasen was in top form with 56 runs off 26 balls. Harshit, who had played only 12 T20s before that game and bowled the final over just once in his career, was given the ball by KKR captain Shreyas Iyer. Iyer encouraged him, telling him it was his time to shine and asked him to give his best, assuring him that even if he failed to defend the runs, it would still be fine.
Harshit later said that the over was very important for him and the captain’s words gave him the confidence to take on the challenge.
“It was a very important over for me. Shreyas bhai told me: “Yeh le, yeh tera time hai. Ya toh hero ban ja, par agar defend nahin hoga, tab bhi mere ko koi problem nahin hai,” Harshit Rana said.
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The pressure was high as Klaasen hit Harshit’s first ball for six, leaving seven runs needed off five balls. Shreyas told him to stay calm, and Harshit decided to try a slower ball. Guided by assistant coach Abhishek Nayar’s signal and his own practice at the NCA, he executed it perfectly, turning the game in KKR’s favor. He gave away just two runs in four balls and took Klaasen’s wicket on the second last delivery, helping KKR win by four runs.
“I would like to credit Nayar bhai’s, role here. He passed the same message from the dugout, saying bowling slower would benefit me, because the slower ball sometimes grips at Eden [Gardens],” he added.
Harshit Rana has done well whenever given a chance across formats. In T20Is, he has played only one match but picked up three wickets. In ODIs, he already has 10 wickets from five games and was part of the Champions Trophy 2025 winning squad. He also played two Tests in the 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy and picked up four wickets. He could play an important role for India in the Asia Cup 2025, as the squad has only three main pacers along with Hardik Pandya. With slower pitches in Dubai, pacers like Harshit, who can bowl slower balls, could be very useful. He also has experience at the same ground from the Champions Trophy 2025, which may help him perform well.
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