Harshit Rana: The Rising Star tipped to play at least 80 Tests for India by Gautam Gambhir

Harshit started his cricketing journey as a net bowler for Gujarat Titans in 2022. His hard work and dedication paid off when he played a crucial role in leading Kolkata Knight Riders to their IPL victory in 2024. His talent did not go unnoticed as he made a stunning debut on the international stage, showcasing his skills with impressive figures of 3/48 in the first innings and 1/69 in the second. His stellar performance helped India secure their biggest overseas win by 295 runs, giving them a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

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transform: rotate(32deg); animation: shinerMooving 3s infinite; z-index: 1; filter: blur(1px); } @keyframes shinerMooving { 0% { left: -40px; } 100% { left: 150%; } } Top 15 buys at IPL 2025 Auction Rishabh Pant ₹ 27 Cr DC LSG Total Match 111 Total Runs 3284 Highest Score 128 runs Shreyas Iyer ₹ 26.75 Cr KKR PBKS Total Match 115 Total Runs 3127 Highest Score 96 runs Venkatesh Iyer ₹ 23.75 Cr KKR KKR Total Match 50 Total Runs 1326 Highest Score 104 runs Wickets 3 Best Bowling 2/29 Arshdeep Singh ₹ 18 Cr PBKS PBKS Total Match 65 Total Runs 29 Highest Score 10 runs Wickets 76 Best Bowling 5/32 Yuzvendra Chahal ₹ 18 Cr RR PBKS Total Match 260 Total Runs 37 Highest Score 8 runs Wickets 205 Best Bowling 5/40 Jos Buttler ₹ 15.75 Cr RR GT Total Match 107 Total Runs 3582 Highest Score 124 runs KL Rahul ₹ 14 Cr LSG DC Total Match 132 Total Runs 4683 Highest Score 132 runs Trent Boult ₹ 12.50 Cr RR MI Total Match 104 Total Runs 83 Highest Score 17 runs Wickets 121 Best Bowling 4/18 Jofra Archer ₹ 12.50 Cr MI RR Total Match 35 Total Runs 195 Highest Score 27 runs Wickets 46 Best Bowling 3/15 Josh Hazlewood ₹ 12.50 Cr RCB RCB Total Match 12 Total Runs - Highest Score - Wickets 12 Best Bowling 3/24 Mohammed Siraj ₹ 12.25 Cr RCB GT Total Match 93 Total Runs 109 Highest Score 14 runs Wickets 93 Best Bowling 4/21 Mitchell Starc ₹ 11.75 Cr KKR DC Total Match 41 Total Runs 105 Highest Score 29 runs Wickets 51 Best Bowling 4/15 Phil Salt ₹ 11.50 Cr DC RCB Total Match 21 Total Runs 653 Highest Score 89 runs Ishan Kishan ₹ 11.25 Cr MI SRH Total Match 105 Total Runs 2644 Highest Score 99 runs Wickets - Best Bowling - Jitesh Sharma ₹ 11 Cr PBKS RCB Total Match 40 Total Runs 730 Highest Score 49 runs Check Full Coverage

Negi, Harshit's coach from his U19 days in Delhi, couldn't hide his joy on seeing his ward's exploits on a bouncy and seaming Perth pitch. Negi said Harshit has the potential to play at least 70-80 Tests for India.

"Harshit is a very talented bowler. He had been bowling extremely well in the last two seasons of the Ranji Trophy. Last year, when I was the fielding coach of the Delhi Ranji team, he made his debut and bowled extremely well.

"It is just the beginning; he is one such player who should go on and play at least 70-80 Test matches for India...in fact he should go on and play all three formats for India," Negi told PTI Videos in an interview.

Rana's inclusion in the Indian XI stirred some controversy, especially considering he had only played around 10 first-class matches. It was mainly due to head coach Gautam Gambhir's insistence that the lanky fast bowler was fast-tracked into the Indian side for the Australia tour. Negi believed it was the perfect opportunity to give him his Test debut, thanks to his impressive bowling stats.

In his 10 first-class appearances, Harshit has claimed 43 wickets at an average of 24.00 and boasts an impressive batting average of 42.63, highlighted by a remarkable unbeaten 122 against the North-East Zone.

Harshit Rana's early days

Negi and Rana's paths first crossed in 2018 when Harshit was chosen for the Delhi U19 team. Negi, who has also worked as a fielding coach with Gujarat Titans in the IPL, noted that Harshit always had the ambition to bowl fast, but it was his gradual improvements in fitness that significantly contributed to his achievements.

"In 2018, when I was the head coach of the Delhi U19 team, I noted that he had a very smooth action and a good rhythm. He could bat well. He worked on his fitness and pace and gradually improved as a bowler.

"The most important thing is that he is a fighter. When I first picked Mayank (Yadav) and Harshit in the team, they were both very raw but promising. I just hope that he continues to work on his fitness and gradually keeps increasing his pace," said Negi.

Negi believes that Harshit has the ability to come good with the bat lower down the order. His advice to the youngster is to learn as much as possible from pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and keep bowling to his strengths to succeed in international cricket.

"He is a good batter as well and in the coming years may perform well with the bat as well. He is someone who can easily score 30-40 odd runs batting lower down the order for India.

"Harshit should keep a check on his fitness and try to learn a lot from the modern-day legend, Jasprit Bumrah. He just needs to back his strengths while bowling and that will help him succeed in the international cricket... he has the talent, bounce and pace", concluded Negi.

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