India pacer Harshit Rana believes that game time in the ongoing Delhi Premier League has been ideal preparation for the Asia Cup, which begins on September 9.
Rana briefly joined the Indian Test team in England
after the India A shadow tour and last played for India in the Champions Trophy in February.
What Did Harshit Rana Say?
“It is not at all that I have become out of practice. In the last 20-25 days, I have played 12-13 T20 matches. So, my practice is completely on because DPL (Delhi Premier League) was going on, before that our team’s practice was going on. So that is a plus point for me that I am bowling well in the matches and overall performance has been good,” Rana told PTI Videos.
Rana is excited about reuniting with Jasprit Bumrah, who will be available for the entire Asia Cup after playing three out of five Tests in England due to workload management.
“I can’t tell you what Jassi (Jasprit Bumrah) bhai brings to the table, playing with him is really special, he makes things easy for us. If he’s around, the pressure on us is minimal.
“I try to stay calm, it’s always pretty exciting to wear the India jersey and play…with kind of quality bowling unit we have right now is good. I try to give my best every time, not thinking much about the outcome,” he said.
Despite his enthusiasm, Rana is unlikely to start in the Asia Cup, with Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and all-rounder Hardik Pandya being the preferred pace trio.
Rana has played just one T20 for India, debuting as a concussion substitute against England in January 2025 and delivering an impressive performance with figures of 3 for 33.
In the Indian Premier League (IPL), he played 13 matches this season, taking 15 wickets at an average of 29.86 with an economy rate of over 10—figures that have led to criticism regarding his inclusion in the Asia Cup squad.
(With inputs from PTI)
