Team India skipper Shubman Gill showered praise on Harshit Rana for his impactful batting displays in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand. Highlighting the significance of the No. 8 slot in the lineup, Gill expressed confidence that Harshit has the potential to further enhance his batting skills in the near future.
New Zealand sealed a historic 41-run victory over India in the third ODI at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Sunday, January 18. After being put in to bat, the visitors piled up 337/8, powered by centuries from Daryl Mitchell, who scored 137 off 131 balls, and Glenn Phillips, who smashed 106 off 88 deliveries.
In response, India were bowled out for 296 despite a fighting century from Virat Kohli, who made 124 off 108 balls. The win marked New Zealand’s first-ever ODI series triumph on Indian soil.
Gill Hails Harshit Rana’s Batting Impact
During the chase, India stumbled to 71/4 before Kohli steadied the innings alongside Nitish Kumar Reddy, who contributed 53 off 57 balls, and Harshit, who chipped in with a quickfire 52 off 43. Addressing the media after the match, Shubman Gill lauded Harshit’s batting contributions across the ODI series and said:
“In the first ODI, the knock that he played, and in this one, he’s someone who is really improving in his batting. The position that he is batting at, No. 8, it’s a really important position for us. All the other teams in the world, they bat really deep. Whenever we play, we play with five batsmen and then we try to play a couple of all-rounders.”
“It’s always our aim to give opportunities to players who can bat as well. Very happy to see how he is growing and contributing to the team. He could be a great prospect for us. You don’t get that many bowlers who bowl 140 (kph) consistently with the height that he’s got. The way he is batting, if he keeps on improving, he could be really good,” the Indian captain went on to add.
Harshit Rana scored a brisk 29 from 23 deliveries in the first ODI at Vadodara. So far, he has featured in seven ODI innings, tallying 124 runs at an average of 24.80 and a healthy strike rate of 121.56.
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