Ashwin acknowledged Harshit Rana’s abilities, suggesting team management may have observed something exceptional up close.
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Harshit Rana Faces Scrutiny as Ashwin Questions Selection
Harshit Rana has come under scrutiny after being included in India’s white-ball squads for the upcoming Australia series, reigniting debates over favouritism in Indian cricket circles. Despite being one of the few all-format players in the current setup, his recent performances have not fully justified his selection. The pacer has struggled for consistency, particularly in red-ball matches in Australia and England, where batters often dominated him. Critics have also highlighted his Kolkata Knight Riders connection with Gautam Gambhir — now India’s head coach — who mentored him during KKR’s 2024 title-winning campaign, suggesting past associations may have influenced his inclusion.
Veteran all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin questioned Harshit Rana’s selection, noting that his rise to the national setup followed a standout delivery dismissing Nitish Kumar Reddy in the IPL 2024 final.
“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.
However, Ashwin acknowledged Rana’s talent and noted that team management might have observed something special up close, justifying their strong backing.
“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,” Ashwin added.
Rana’s international record includes two Tests with four wickets at an average of 50.75, five ODIs with ten wickets at 20.70, and three T20Is where he claimed five wickets but had an expensive economy of 10.18.
‘Harshit Rana has got some X-factor’
Veteran all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin urged caution against judging Harshit Rana from afar, acknowledging the pacer’s undeniable talent and X-factor while admitting that whether he truly deserves selection at this stage remains debatable.
“Many people make judgemental calls based on their assumptions. But only when we face the music on the ground, we’ll come to know. Likewise, Harshit Rana might come across in some way from a distance. But only when you face a heavy ball from him, you’ll understand that he has something. Whether he deserves selection or not is a secondary issue, but he’s got some X-factor, let’s not forget that. Yet, if you ask me if he deserves selection now, it’s very questionable,” Ashwin said.
