Harshit Rana rapidly evolving into a handy all-rounder

It was a Sunday when Harshit Rana quietly ticked multiple boxes, reinforcing why the Indian team management views him as more than just a fast bowler.

Harshit’s impact in India’s victory in the opening ODI over New Zealand at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara went well beyond the wickets column. While his timely breakthroughs helped check a threatening New Zealand start, it was his calm, though brief, contribution with the bat in a tense chase that underlined the faith the think tank has begun to place in him as a lower-order all-round option.

“The team management wants to groom me as an all-rounder and it is my task to keep working on it,” Harshit said after the match. “I am working on it in the nets as well and it was a matter of confidence which KL (Rahul) bhai helped me with when I went in (to bat). I kept my focus and made the runs.”

Harshit bowled with control during the middle overs and was instrumental in breaking New Zealand’s opening stand, a phase where India desperately needed wickets. On a surface that offered little margin for error, his ability to unsettle batters brought the home team back into the contest after the visitor had threatened to push beyond a competitive total.

His role, however, did not end there. With India wobbling late in the chase following a dramatic collapse triggered by Kyle Jamieson, Harshit walked in at No. 7 ahead of the injured Washington Sundar with the target still in sight and pressure mounting.

“My team wants me to bat as an all-rounder and whatever time I can give to it in the nets, I focus on that,” the 24-year-old said. “I believe I can score 30-40 runs for the team lower down the order whenever needed, and that’s what the team management believes as well.”

Though his stay was short, Harshit upped the ante, tonking 29 runs off 23 balls. His willingness to take responsibility allowed Rahul to settle down and play the finisher’s role.

Harshit admitted the mood in the middle changed swiftly after Virat Kohli’s dismissal. “Till Virat bhai was there it felt that the match would end early, maybe with five or six overs to spare,” he said. “But a game of cricket can change anytime and you cannot predict it.”

From his rapid progression on the field in the last six months, one can see Harshit making a compelling case for his growing value in India’s ODI set-up with an eye on the 2027 World Cup.