A heavily scrutinised 23-year-old, Harshit Rana, may not have been an out-and-out choice bowler in the India playing XI in the eyes of fans and experts, but has been fully trusted by the team management for the potential he carries. Despite the outer noise, in 2025, Rana picked up most wickets for India in the One Day Internationals.

He has a knack for picking big wickets, especially with the older ball when the team is looking for breakthroughs and the ability to chip in with the bat. Thus, Harshit Rana is the only prospect for the No. 8 position, especially in ODIs.

Harshit Rana’s Biography and Early Career

Hailing from Ghevra, Delhi, Harshit Rana took to cricket with his father, who ignited his passion. He used to start his day with a 4:30 A.M. training session, followed by another long session after school.

Although Harshit Rana found his métier in fast bowling, he has grown to become a handy lower-order batter and is currently on the path to becoming a genuine all-rounder.

Despite his performance, the prodigious talent failed to make the Delhi Under-14 and Under-16 squads due to a recurring lower-back glute injury. Rana did not let this setback affect him. He used to travel 42 kilometres a day to Gurgaon for his rehab.

In 2012, he joined a cricket academy in Shadipur, Delhi, where he met his first coach, Shravan Kumar, who guided the fierce pacer to prominence. In the meantime, he was also mentored by Amit Bhandari and NS Negi, and their guidance helped him earn a spot in the Delhi Under-19 One-Day squad.

Harshit Rana’s Domestic Career

In 2020-21, Harshit Rana was picked for the Delhi Under-25 and Ranji squads. This was followed by his List-A debut, which came in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022.

In his maiden Ranji Trophy season in 2022-23, he was the highest wicket-taker for Delhi, with 21 dismissals in eight innings, including a seven-wicket haul against Hyderabad. Rana impressed with the bat in the Duleep Trophy 2023, smashing his maiden First-Class century in the quarter-final against North East Zone while playing for North Zone.

Harshit Rana’s IPL Career

Notably, a rendezvous with Nitish Rana led to his introduction to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, who invited him to the trials ahead of IPL 2022. Although the pacer was not picked in the auction, KKR roped him in as an injury replacement for Rasikh Salam in the same season.

Rana made his T20 debut in IPL 2022 versus the Delhi Capitals.

In IPL 2023, he took five wickets in six innings for KKR. He was retained by KKR for IPL 2024 and will have one of the lethal fast-bowlers, Mitchell Starc, in the company. His ability to deliver crucial breakthroughs and maintain economic bowling spells significantly bolstered KKR's bowling attack. Helping KKR to clinch another title.

Recognising his consistent performances, KKR retained Rana as an uncapped player ahead of the 2025 IPL season, underscoring their faith in his ability to contribute to the team's success.

Harshit Rana’s Test Career

Harshit Rana's consistent domestic performances culminated in his Test debut for India during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. He earned his first Test cap in Perth on November 22, 2024.

In his maiden Test, he impressed by taking wickets, including Travis Head, and had figures of 3/48 in the first innings, marking a strong start to his international career.

Harshit Rana’s T20I Career

Harshit Rana made a historic T20I debut on January 31, 2025, against England in Pune, becoming the first Indian to debut as a concussion substitute, replacing Shivam Dube. He marked the unique entry by taking 3 wickets for 33 runs, cementing a memorable start.

It is worth noting that Rana’s T20I debut came in rather unusual circumstances. Harshit, who was not originally a part of India’s playing XI for the fourth T20I against England at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, came into the side as a concussion substitute for all-rounder Shivam Dube.

Harshit Rana indeed left an impression on the match; however, whether a right-arm fast bowler was a like-for-like replacement for a left-handed all-rounder, as the laws demand a concussion substitute to be.

The incident raised many eyebrows. Thus, to prevent misuse, the ICC updated the concussion substitute rule requiring teams to pre-define five specific replacement roles, wicketkeepers, batter, seam bowler, spin bowler, and all-rounder, before the match. 

In essence, replacements must be “like-for-like” in skill and approved by the referee to avoid excessive advantage to the team.  

Harshit Rana’s ODI Career

Rana transitioned to the ODI format with notable success. He made his ODI debut against England in February 2025, delivering an impactful performance with figures of 3/53. His consistent wicket-taking ability and disciplined bowling have been instrumental in bolstering India's pace attack.

In February 2025, ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy, India faced a setback with the injury of premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah sustained an injury. Rana was named as Bumrah's replacement in the 15-member squad. During the tournament, Rana's inclusion was highlighted as a strategic move to bolster India's pace attack, especially given the subcontinental conditions.

His early successes in various formats have positioned him as a promising talent in India's fast-bowling arsenal. Moving forward, expectations are high for Rana to further hone his skills, particularly in adapting to diverse pitch conditions and enhancing his batting capabilities to evolve into a reliable bowling all-rounder.

Harshit Rana ended his debut year, picking up 20 ODI wickets - the highest for India in 2025. 

(As of February 2026)