India's star pacer Harshit Rana is gearing up for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, having selected in India's 15-member squad for the showpiece event, which is set to kick off from September 9 in UAE.
Harshit Rana’s blind ranking of India’s bowling attack for Asia Cup 2025
Harshit's inclusion in India's Asia Cup squad has also sparked debate among fans and experts. However, this also presents a good opportunity for Harshit to prove his bowling might in Asia Cup and repay selectors' faith. Despite a lackluster performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, his selection underscores the selectors' strong belief in his potential and long-term talent.
Rana, who is currently busy featuring in the ongoing Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025, in a viral video was asked to
Rana, on the sidelines of Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025, was asked to blind rank the Indian bowlers for the Asia Cup 2025 amongst Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna. Without seeing the names, Rana placed Kuldeep at the top of his list, even ranking him ahead of superstar pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who he placed second.
"Kuldeep bhai, iska aapse kuch lunga, aapko No.1 bana diya hai,’ he said, in a playful jab at his senior, which translates to ‘Kuldeep brother, I want something from you for this, I have made you No. 1," Harshit said.
Here's how Harshit Rana ranked slotted bowlers in blind ranking:
1. Kuldeep Yadav
2. Jasprit Bumrah
3. Arshdeep Singh
4. Axar Patel
5. Prasidh Krishna
6. Varun Chakaravarthy
Watch the video here:
Rana's selection in India's Asia Cup squad has sparked considerable debate, primarily due to his recent performances. In the IPL 2025, he took 15 wickets in 13 matches but struggled with a high economy rate of 10.18. Despite this, his potential was evident in his sole T20I appearance for India earlier this year against England. As a concussion substitute, he was instrumental in the team's victory, claiming three crucial wickets.
Talking about Rana's form in the ongoing DPL, as captain of the North Delhi Strikers, he has taken 11 wickets, making him the third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament so far.
However, he will look to make the best of the opportunity in the Asia Cup. Notably, India will start their Asia Cup 2025 campaign against USA on September 10 before locking horns with Pakistan on September 14 and Oman on September 19.
India’s squad for Asia Cup 2025:
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh
Standby players: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel