Fast bowler Harshit Rana thanked Gautam Gambhir after being selected for his first One Day International (ODI) series on the tour of Sri Lanka. Earlier this month, Rana was part of the Indian team for the first two T20 matches against Zimbabwe but didn’t play. He was chosen for the ODI team along with Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, and Mohammed Siraj. Rana thanked his father, personal coach, and Gambhir for helping him in his cricket career.
Under Gambhir’s mentorship, Rana played very well for KKR in the 2024 IPL. He took 19 wickets in 13 matches and helped the Knight Riders win the championship for the third time, after their victories in 2012 and 2014. Rana expressed gratitude to Gambhir for always believing in him and supporting him to win games.
“If I had to list three people who have been very important to me on this wonderful journey, I would say my dad, for all his hard work, my personal coach Amit Bhandari, who used to play for India and Delhi, and most importantly, Gauti bhaiyya (Gautam Gambhir),” Rana shared with PTI.
“If my attitude towards the game has improved, a big part of that is because of Gauti bhaiyya being in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ dressing room and how he helped me change my way of thinking. At a high level, you need skills, but even more important is the ability to handle pressure. Gauti bhaiyya always encouraged me by saying, ‘I believe in you. You can win the game,’” he continued.
Rana has played just 14 list A matches where he has taken 22 wickets with an economy rate of 5.54, including a few games where he took four wickets. India’s visit to Sri Lanka started with the one-day series on Saturday, July 27, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
