Harshit Rana Virat Kohli Shubman Gill. Image Credits: AFP
Experienced fast bowler Harshit Rana has officially been ruled out of the ODI series against England. Rana was earlier sidelined from the final two T20Is of the England tour due to a hamstring injury.
The BCCI had issued a worrying update on Harshit Rana on July 9, confirming the fast bowler would miss the fourth and fifth T20Is of the England series due to the injury setback. A reliable report from India Today later revealed that Rana would also be ruled out of the three-match ODI series and undergo rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Meanwhile, the BCCI has confirmed the development and revealed Harshit Rana's replacement in the India ODI squad vs England.
Who will join India ODI squad vs England as Harshit Rana's replacement?
Promising fast bowler Prince Yadav has been named as Harshit Rana's replacement in the India ODI squad vs England.
On Sunday, July 12, the BCCI issued an official press release, confirming Prince Yadav as Harshit Rana's replacement for the three-match ODI series against England.
"The Men's Selection Committee has named Prince Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi as replacements for Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy in India's ODI and T20I squads, respectively," the BCCI stated.
Why will Harshit Rana miss India vs England ODIs?
The BCCI revealed the exact nature of Harshit Rana's injury. The Indian cricket board, in its official press release, stated that Rana complained of serious discomfort in his right hamstring during the third T20I between India and England at Trent Bridge.
The statement added that Rana was later diagnosed with a grade 1 hamstring injury, which subsequently ruled him out of the three-match ODI series against England.
"Rana reported a sudden onset of discomfort in his right hamstring during the third T20I against England at Trent Bridge. Subsequent scans revealed a Grade 1 hamstring injury. He has been ruled out of the forthcoming ODI series against England and will report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) for further assessment and management," the BCCI stated.
Notably, a grade 1 hamstring injury usually takes 1-3 weeks to heal. Therefore, although the BCCI hasn't issued an official update on Rana's return, he might get back into cricketing action in the home ODI series against West Indies, which commences on September 27.
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What is Prince Yadav's record in ODI cricket?
Talking about Prince Yadav, the right-arm fast bowler rose to prominence following a series of impressive outings for Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL.
His ability to move the new ball up front, hit the deck hard and force the batters to commit mistakes with razor-sharp accuracy grabbed the attention of the BCCI selection committee, earning him a maiden call-up for the home series against Afghanistan.
Prince Yadav, who has been named Harshit Rana's replacement in the India ODI squad vs England, made his debut in the Afghanistan series. The promising pacer has bagged three wickets in two ODI matches at an average of 31.3 and a strike rate of 29.
Will Prince Yadav play India vs England 1st ODI?
Apart from his bowling, Prince adds value to the table as an athletic fielder and a useful tail-ender, making him an ideal replacement for Rana.
However, although he has been included in the India ODI squad vs England, Prince Yadav might not be a starter in India's playing XI for the first match, with the team management likely to prefer first-choice pacers like Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar and Prasidh Krishna to spearhead their fast bowling unit.
India's updated ODI squad vs England
Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain), KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav
The first ODI between India and England will be played at the Edgbaston in Birmingham on July 14, while the subsequent matches will be hosted at Cardiff and Lord's on July 16 and 19, respectively.
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