In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, Harshit Rana played a couple of initial matches. Team Indiaclinched a massive 295-run victory against Australia in the opening game played in Perth and Rana played a vital
role with his four wickets. During the first match of the series, Rana showed his aggressive side against Mitchell Starc. Starc and Harshit were teammates in Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, but when they came against each other in the illustrious red-ball competition, both had a war of words. The India pacer bowled some mighty bouncers to the Aussie quick, who was looking to accumulate runs for his team in the pressure situation.
Starc, after getting barraged with the bouncers, intimidated Harshit by reminding him that he bowls faster than the Indian pacer. “Harshit, I bowl faster than you. I've got a long memory,” said Starc, as quoted by Rana. Eventually, Rana had the last laugh as he dismissed Starc on the individual score of 26. Harshit, who recently appeared on BeerBiceps podcast show with Ranveer Allahbadia, recalled how things between him and the star Aussie player went in the match.
During the podcast show, he disclosed that Virat Kohliand KL Rahul told him to keep on bowling bouncers to the left-arm Australian despite the heated exchange between the two. “I bowled a bouncer at him after a long time. One of them hit his helmet. When he sledged, I just laughed it off. But while I was walking back for my run-up, I was like 'mar gaya. Ab ye maarega mujhe bouncer' (I'm dead, now he will bowl bouncers at me). And then, from behind, Virat bhai and KL bhai kept shouting 'maarta reh, maarta reh, idhar hi maar isko' (keep hitting him at the same spot!). I was like ‘Bhaiya aap toh khel loge, mere lagegi sar pe!' (You both will play him easily, I'll get hit on the helmet!),” remarked Rana.
Harshit Rana’s bowling numbers in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25
Harshit Rana struggled to be among the wickets in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25. After the Perth Test, he went wicketless in the second match in Adelaide. Following his non-performance in the second game, he warmed benches during the next three contests.
Harshit’s last competitive game was for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Delhi. Discussing his numbers in the cash-rich league, he bagged 15 wickets in 13 matches at an economy of 10.18. He is now set to play for North Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2025 under Shubman Gill later this month.
