India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series after defeating England in the opening ODI on Thursday, February 6 in Nagpur. Although he was struck for enough during the first powerplay, Harshit Rana, one of the debutants along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, contributed with a terrific session. Three English hitters, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, and Liam Livingstone, were defeated by Rana, which was crucial in keeping the visitors to 248 in the first innings.
Rana became the first bowler from India to take at least three wickets in his first appearance in all formats of international cricket with a score of 3 for 53 in ten overs. Speaking at his maiden 50-over match and helping the team win, Rana stated that he is prepared to bowl for the Indian side at any point throughout the game, from the opening powerplay to the last overs.
“I’ve bowled well in death before. For it, I’m prepared. It’s a tough format. During the press conference after the game, he stated, “You have to play different roles in different phases, and you get 10 overs.”
Harshit Rana last-minute performances in white ball cricket
In the IPL 2024 season, the Delhi pacer demonstrated his ability to bowl in the difficult overs and was instrumental in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ third-place victory. Rana finished the tournament as the team’s third-highest wicket-taker, behind Varun Chakravarthy and Andre Russell, with 19 wickets in 13 matches.
In the fourth Twenty20 International match against England in Pune, he shown his temperament by entering as a Concussion Substitute and finishing with statistics of 3/33 in his four overs. Rana’s international career is off to a strong start, and his squad will be hoping he continues to perform well in every format he plays.
India
