Harshit Rana was often got overlooked, but one stellar Indian Premier League season of 19 wickets in Kolkata Knight Riders’ triumphant campaign brought him into the national reckoning. The 22-year-old speedster from Delhi’s South Extension, Harshit Rana who did the tough grind since the junior levels, often got overlooked, but one stellar Indian Premier League (IPL) season of 19 wickets in Kolkata Knight Riders’ triumphant campaign brought him into the national reckoning.
“ Delhi mein dil tooth sakta hai par humne kabhi hausla nahi haraa(Delhi can break your heart but I never lost hope).” These were an emotional Harshit Rana’s first words after learning about his maiden call-up in the Indian ODI team comprising icons Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Harshit Rana’s incredible cricket journey and stellar performance in 2024 IPL
Despite the criticism from an India legend Sunil Gavaskar for his behavior of silencing Mayank Agarwal on the field as a gesture of celebration , for Harshit Rana — who ended the game with figures of 3/33, including the wickets of Mayank Agarwal, Shahbaz Ahmed and Heinrich Klassen — the game had a fairytale ending.
Harshit Rana got his break with KKR back in 2022 with some help from Nitish Rana, who had initially recommended his name to Abhishek Nayar before a trial. Harshit Rana was playing as a net bowler for Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2022 season when KKR’s Rasikh Salam injured his back. When they were looking for a replacement, Nayar called Harshit Rana.
Harshit Rana had made his debut for KKR in 2022, when he was hit for a boundary off the first ball. But he managed to come back with a wicket two balls later. That was the only wicket he would take in the 2022 season where he got to play two matches for KKR. In the 2023 season, Harshit Rana claimed five wickets in six games.
What stands out is that while the right-arm fast bowler hails from New Delhi, and has played age group cricket for them, he was called up by KKR as a replacement for the injured Salam in IPL 2022 before he could make his debut at the senior level for Delhi.
Harshit Rana had a bright 2022-23 first-class season with Delhi, picking up 21 wickets in five Ranji Trophy games, but then injuries prevented him from playing a lot of red-ball cricket. With the white ball, though, he has been fantastic for Delhi: 22 wickets in 14 Vijay Hazare Trophy games, and 28 in 25 Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s.
At IPL 2024, in front of a packed Eden Gardens, he managed to nail his blockhole deliveries, wide yorkers and slow bouncers to finish as the tournament’s joint-fourth-highest wicket-taker, playing his part in KKR’s run to the title.
Leading up to his IPL exploits, Rana had trained under Bhandari and Narinder Singh Negi at Delhi’s Players’ Academy. “If you talk about skill-set, then Bhandari sir and Negi sir have been my personal coaches for the past two years,” Rana said.
Bhandari, a Delhi stalwart who played two ODIs for India between 2000 and 2004 and is now an assistant coach with Gujarat Titans, spoke to PTI about the time he spent with Rana.
Harshit Rana has praised Indian Coach Gautam Gambhir for his influence over him and how it has helped him grow as a player and a bowler too.
Harshit Rana credits India coach for his change in mindset ahead of debut series vs Sri Lanka in 2024
Rookie Indian pacer Harshit Rana credited Gautam Gambhir for shaping his outlook towards the game after he received his maiden call-up to the ODI squad on Thursday. The right-arm seamer feels spending time with Gambhir in the Kolkata Knight Riders camp has done him a world of good.
Harshit Rana has been selected in the ODI squad to face Sri Lanka as one of four frontline pacers in the three-game series. While the youngster played only eight matches in IPL 2022 and 2023 combined, he put himself in the spotlight in the 2024 season of the franchise cricket league. In 13 games, he took 19 wickets as the Knight Riders clinched their third title under Gautam Gambhir’s mentorship.
Speaking to PTI after receiving his maiden call-up, the young pacer said his father, former Delhi cricketer Amit Bhandari, and Gambhir have played a crucial role in his rise.
“If I have to name three people whom I am indebted to in this beautiful journey of mine, then it is my father for his efforts, my personal coach Amit Bhandari sir [former India and Delhi pacer] and above everyone else Gauti bhaiyya [Gambhir]. If my outlook towards the game has changed, a lot of it has got to do with Gauti bhaiyya’s presence in the KKR dressing room and how he changed my mindset,” he said.
The youngster also talked about the impact Gambhir’s trust in him had.
“At the elite level, you require skills, but more than skills you require the heart to handle the pressure. Gauti bhaiyya would always tell me ‘Mere ko tere pe trust hai. Tu match jeetake aayega’. [I trust you, you can win the match],” Rana added.
The Delhi-born cricketer has played only 14 List A games so far, taking 22 wickets, averaging 23.45. With Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, and Khaleel Ahmed also in the squad, it remains to be seen if Rana gets the nod in the playing XI.
“I learnt there will always be a new day” – Harshit Rana
Harshit Rana added that Gambhir motivated him to overcome his fears as results aren’t always as important as they seem.
“If you ask about the pressure part, it is Gautam Gambhir’s advice. He would say, ‘what’s the worst thing that will happen? You will get hit and we can lose the match. But if you don’t face your fears, how will you overcome them?’ [I learnt] there will always be a new day, a new match and things will fall in place. That’s what you train for.”
Team India’s tour of Sri Lanka begins on July 27 in Pallekele with the T20I series. The 50-over matches begin on August 2.