Harshit Rana’s selection in India’s white-ball teams for the coming Australia series has generated controversy, with charges of partiality yet again doing the rounds of Indian cricket. Although Rana is at present one of the handful of players under consideration across all three formats, many feel his recent performance doesn’t quite justify a national recall.
“Why they are selecting him, I am not sure. I would love to be in the selection meeting to know the reason behind his inclusion. From my side, the reason I see is – In Australia we need that fast bowler who can bat. Someone trusts that he can bat, which is why they are selecting him as a potential No. 8. But I am not sure about his batting ability. Two years back he bowled a brilliant pacy delivery in the IPL final that flew off the edge (Nitish Kumar Reddy’s dismissal). He has played for a while now for that one delivery,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
The young pacer has struggled to stay consistent, particularly in red-ball cricket in challenging foreign conditions such as Australia and England, where opposing batsmen tended to look for him. A group of observers has pointed to his association with Gautam Gambhir Indian team head coach now under whom Rana was guided by in Kolkata Knight Riders’ championship success in IPL 2024. This has fueled speculation that prior associations have played a role in the choice of selectors.
“But he definitely has the ability with the ball. I will not accept it if someone says he doesn’t have the skill. He definitely does. Such selections happen sometimes because you observe something from a player through close quarters and gain belief in him. Today everyone hails Ravindra Jadeja as a great player. But a time was there when some asked why Ravindra Jadeja was getting picked. I’ve picked up 540 wickets yet there were people that asked why I was getting picked,” he added.
Experienced spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also questioned the inclusion of Rana in the Australia tour, indicating that the pacer’s emergence appeared to gather pace after he bowled an incredible delivery to send back Nitish Kumar Reddy during the IPL 2024 final. But Ashwin refrained from ruling out Rana’s talent, indicating that the team management might have recognized aspects of his game through close contact that make him worth a further investment and nurturing.
