Former India A captain Priyank Panchal does not want head coach Gautam Gambhir and team management to shield Harshit Rana if they see him playing a pace-bowling all-rounder in ODI World Cup 2027. For the first ODI of the series at Perth Stadium, Rana was picked ahead of left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav. Panchal expects Rana to exposed as a no.8 batter. He expects a proper bowler in either Washington Sundar or Nitish Kumar Reddy’s place.
“If Harshit Rana is being seen as someone who can tonk the ball at No. 8, then we should expose him to that role in the next two years and not shield him by including an additional batter. Kuldeep should come in for Nitish or Washi, as in Jassi’s absence he’s the go-to wicket taker,” Panchal wrote on his X account (formerly known as X).
As rain played spoilsport and number of overs were reduced, India lost quick wickets in slog overs. Rana walked out to bat in the penultimate over. He managed to take a single off the first ball and then failed to pick a slower ball. Wicketkeeper Josh Philippe took an easy catch as Rana departed on the second ball he faced.
The 23-year-old is yet to play an impactful knock in international cricket across formats. It will be interesting to see if he retains his place in the playing XI for the second ODI of the series at Adelaide Oval on October 23.
Ashwin baffled by Rana’s selection for Australia ODIs
Earlier, Ravichandran Ashwin had question Rana’s selection in the ODIs for Australia tour.
“Why are they selecting him? I am not sure. I would love to be in the selection meeting to know the reasoning behind his inclusion," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“From my perspective, the reason I see it is that in Australia, we need a fast bowler who can bat. Someone trusts that he can bat, which is why they are selecting him as a potential number eight. However, I am unsure about his batting ability."