‘He’s playing for India for one delivery bowled two years ago': Harshit Rana's continuous selection irks Ashwin

Veteran all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin questioned Rana’s inclusion in the squad for the Australia tour, suggesting that the pacer’s rise to the national setup began right after he dismissed Nitish Kumar Reddy with a stunning delivery in the IPL 2024 final.

"Why they are selecting him, I am not sure. I would love to be in the selection meeting to know the reason behind his inclusion. From my side, the reason I see is - In Australia we need that fast bowler who can bat. Someone trusts that he can bat, which is why they are selecting him as a potential No. 8. But I am not sure about his batting ability. Two years back he bowled a brilliant pacy delivery in the IPL final that flew off the edge (Nitish Kumar Reddy's dismissal). He has played for a while now for that one delivery," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

However, Ashwin didn’t discount Rana’s abilities and added that the team management might have seen something special up close, which is why they are backing him so strongly.

"But he definitely has the ability with the ball. I will not accept it if someone says he doesn't have the skill. He definitely does. Such selections happen sometimes because you observe something from a player through close quarters and gain belief in him. Today everyone hails Ravindra Jadeja as a great player. But a time was there when some asked why Ravindra Jadeja was getting picked. I've picked up 540 wickets yet there were people that asked why I was getting picked," he added.

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Rana has featured in two Tests, picking up four wickets at an average of 50.75. In five ODIs, he has taken ten wickets at an impressive 20.70, while in three T20Is, he has claimed five wickets but turned out to be expensive with economy of 10.18.

'Harshit Rana has got some X-factor'

The veteran all-rounder urges caution against judging Rana from a far as he acknowledged his undeniable talent and X-factor while admitting that whether he truly deserves selection at this stage remains debatable.

"Many people make judgemental calls based on their assumptions. But only when we face the music on the ground, we'll come to know. Likewise, Harshit Rana might come across in some way from a distance. But only when you face a heavy ball from him, you'll understand that he has something. Whether he deserves selection or not is a secondary issue, but he's got some X-factor, let's not forget that. Yet, if you ask me if he deserves selection now, it's very questionable," said Ashwin.

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