Dinesh Karthik endorses Harshit Rana for Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik has expressed his admiration for young pacer Harshit Rana, highlighting his exceptional skills. The 22-year-old Delhi-based fast bowler has been making waves with his performance in the Indian Premier League 2024 and the ongoing Duleep Trophy. Karthik believes that Rana's talent could be a game-changer in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against hosts Australia, which will get underway in November.
Karthik praises Rana's unique bowling skills
Karthik, who last represented India in the T20 World Cup 2022, praised Rana during an episode of Cricbuzz's HeyCB with DK show. He described Rana as a bowler with "special skills" and "good backspin on the ball." Karthik also noted that Rana has a knack for making the ball kiss off the pitch, further emphasizing his potential as a fast bowler.
Karthik's wish for Rana's inclusion in Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Karthik expressed his desire to see Rana represent India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. "I really wish they take him to Australia. I think he will make a difference there," he stated. Despite being satisfied with the current Indian squad, Karthik suggested that Rana could have been a valuable addition for the first Test against Bangladesh on Thursday, September 19, in Chennai.
Rana's impressive performance in IPL 2024
Rana has proven his mettle by taking 19 wickets in 13 matches of IPL 2024 for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), finishing as the joint fourth leading wicket-taker. His outstanding performance earned him a spot in India's squad for the first two T20Is against Zimbabwe in Harare. However, he did not get a chance to play in any of these matches. Notably, he owns 36 wickets across nine First-Class games at 24.75 (5W: 1).
Rana's consistent performance in Duleep Trophy 2024
In the Duleep Trophy 2024, Rana continues to impress with his consistent performance. He is part of the India D team led by Shreyas Iyer and has already taken four wickets in each of the first two matches against India C and India A. His maiden ODI call-up was for a three-match series against Sri Lanka in August 2024, but he did not get an opportunity to play there either.
