‘After two overs in the England innings, I was told I’m concussion substitute’- Harshit Rana reveals genius behind controversial decision

India took an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series on Friday, January 31, when they defeated England by 15 runs in the fourth T20I  at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. During the thrilling match, Shivam Dube and Harshit Rana were two of India’s top performers. At the toss, the Men in Blue selected a playing XI, but only one of them was included.

Dube’s vital half-century in the opening innings and his 87-run sixth-wicket partnership with Hardik Pandya helped get India out of a precarious situation. In India’s final over, a bouncer from Jamie Overton struck the left-handed batter. In the second innings, Harshit Rana, a seamer from Delhi, came in as a concussion substitution for Dube. As a result of this move, the hosts were able to get rid of Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, and Overton.

According to Harshit Rana, two overs into the England innings, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir informed him that he will be used as a concussion substitution.

“I still consider this to be my fantasy debut. I was told by Sir (Gambhir) that I would be the concussion substitute when Dube returned (to the dugout) following two overs. This goes beyond this series; I’ve been waiting for this chance for a while and wanted to establish my worth here. “I bowled well in the IPL and was just doing the same here,” Rana said to the media following the game.

Rana had participated in two Test matches against Australia during the Border-Gavaskar series. It was his first time playing T20I on Friday. As a substitute for a concussion, the 23-year-old became the first Indian player to play for his country.

India and England will now go to Mumbai for Sunday, February 2, when they play the meaningless fifth Twenty20 International at the Wankhede Stadium.