Harshit Rana Joins India's Test Squad for England Series
Harshit Rana Added to India's Test Team
Pacer Harshit Rana has been officially included in India's Test squad for the upcoming series against England, which kicks off on July 20 at Leeds.
Previously part of the India A team, Rana has now joined the main squad as they prepare for the first Test at Headingley, as confirmed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The BCCI stated, "The Men's Selection Committee has added Harshit Rana to India’s squad for the first Test in Leeds against England. Rana, who was a part of the India A squad, has linked up with the team as India begin preparations for the first Test."
Rana made his Test debut during India's tour of Australia in November 2024, where he took four wickets in his first match in Perth, contributing significantly to India's impressive 295-run victory.
At just 23 years old, he was part of the India A team for the first unofficial Test against England Lions in Canterbury, where he claimed a wicket and showcased his batting skills by hitting two sixes off England spinner Rehan Ahmed.
Achievements and Recent Performances
Harshit Rana was a member of the ICC Champions Trophy-winning team this year and has played five ODIs for India, taking 10 wickets with an average of 20.70. In his only T20I match against England, he secured three wickets.
His last significant performance was in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), where he took 15 wickets in 13 matches, averaging 29.86, with his best bowling figures being 3/25.
Joining the Pace Attack
Rana will join a formidable pace attack led by veteran Jasprit Bumrah, alongside Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, and Akash Deep, as well as 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 at home.
However, India will be without experienced players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who recently announced their retirement from Test cricket.
India's Test Squad
The complete squad for the series 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.