Former India opener Kris Srikkanth didn’t hold back when talking about Harshit Rana’s all-round display in the third ODI against New Zealand at Holkar
Cricket Stadium, Indore. Though India ultimately lost the series decider by 41 runs, Srikkanth was full of praise for the young player’s performance with the bat, saying his unexpected cameo left a fear in the opposition.
India failed to chase down the target despite Virat Kohli’s tremendous innings of 124 runs off 108 balls. But the main shining spot in the run chase came when Rana came into bat, with India reeling at 178/6. The Delhi duo then stitched a memorable partnership, which gave the Indian team a slight chance in the run chase, despite the early collapse.
Now, Srikkanth, in a video on his official YouTube channel has showered praises on Rana for his courageous batting display when the team needed him the most. He scored 52 runs while facing 43 balls. Srikkanth stated that the 24-year-old’s batting had put fear in the Kiwis, and his power striking had taken them aback briefly.
"Virat Kohli is King of Kings. Bow down to him. What a knock! But the real game-changer was Harshit Rana. The way Rana was batting, New Zealand players were shivering. I was amazed by Rana’s batting and performed at a different level. They were literally shaking and didn’t know what to do. He was hitting sixes effortlessly and his batting was tremendous," said Srikkanth on his YouTube channel.
"Out of the 99 runs that Virat Kohli and Harshit Rana added, Rana made 52. That 52 runs were crucial and gave Kohli hope even though the asking rate was above 11. Rana’s hitting reduced it to 10 and New Zealand were scared. New Zealand captain was scared too," he added.
Srikkanth sympathises with Virat Kohli
The hosts found themselves staring at a challenging chase of 338 runs after New Zealand posted a big total powered by centuries from Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips. Mitchell continued his dream run with the bat and smashed 137, while the Kiwi all-rounder contributed a quick 106, helping the BlackCaps set a daunting target.
Srikkanth, who has been the selector of the Indian team in the past, also sympathised withVirat Kohli, stating that the team needs to show support to the right-hander instead of depending heavily on him. He further questioned senior all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja’s place in the team, saying he may not be the same player he once was, especially in the 50-over format.
"Ravindra Jadeja was the silent killer in the 2023 World Cup. It is true that he doesn’t seem to have the enthusiasm as he had in the 2023 World Cup. But even Kuldeep Yadav is being taken to the cleaners. I feel pity for Virat Kohli. How many matches will he score in? If only Kohli has to score, how many matches can India win that way?,” he concluded.
Despite winning the first match comfortably, the Men in Blue eventually lost the series 2-1 to the visitors. Mitchell was named Player of the Series for his historic performance throughout three encounters. The action will now move into the shortest format of the game in a five-match assignment starting January 21 at Nagpur's VCA Stadium.
