Harshit Rana Joins India's Test Squad for Upcoming Series Against England
Harshit Rana Added to India's Test Team
London [UK], June 18: Fast bowler Harshit Rana has been included in India's Test squad for the upcoming series against England, which is set to commence on July 20 in Leeds.
Rana, who was previously part of the India A team, has joined the national squad as they prepare for the first match at Headingley, as confirmed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), according to ICC reports.
Making his debut during India's tour of Australia in November 2024, Rana took four wickets in his inaugural Test in Perth, significantly contributing to India's impressive 295-run victory.
The 23-year-old recently played for India A in the first unofficial Test against the England Lions in Canterbury, where he claimed a wicket and showcased his batting skills by hitting two sixes off spinner Rehan Ahmed.
In addition to his Test experience, Rana has participated in five One Day Internationals (ODIs), securing 10 wickets with an average of 20.70. He also made a notable impact in his single T20I match against England, where he took three wickets. This year, he was part of the squad that won the ICC Champions Trophy.
His last significant performance was in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), where he achieved 15 wickets in 13 matches, averaging 29.86, with his best bowling figures being 3/25.
Rana will join seasoned bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, and Akash Deep in India's pace lineup, along with all-rounders Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Under the leadership of newly appointed captain Shubman Gill, India is gearing up for their first challenge in the new ICC World Test Championship cycle, facing England in a highly anticipated five-match series.
The last time these two teams met in a five-Test series was in 2024, where India made a remarkable comeback from a 1-0 deficit to win the series 4-1 on home soil.
India will be without the experienced duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who recently announced their retirement from Test cricket.
India's squad includes: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, and Harshit Rana.