Harshit Rana, pacer for Team India and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), replaced all-rounder Shivam Dube as a concussion substitute in the ongoing T20I between India and England on January 31 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune.
This also marks Rana’s debut for India in the T20 format. Shivam Dube made his return to the Indian team after being sidelined in October 2024 due to a back injury, which kept him out of the T20I series against Bangladesh.
In his series debut, Dube (53 off 34) impressed with a half-century and an important 87-run partnership (45 balls) with Hardik Pandya (53 off 30) in an otherwise dull Indian batting performance. However, on the second-last ball of the first innings, Dube was struck on the helmet by a delivery from Jamie Overton.
The pacer inquired if he was fine to continue, and Dube signaled that he was. He faced the final ball, scoring a single but was run out while attempting a second. After a mid-innings assessment, it was confirmed that Dube had suffered a concussion, and he was replaced by Harshit Rana.
https://x.com/bcci/status/1885361074440200479?s=46
The substitution took place after the halfway stage, with Rana officially stepping in as a concussion replacement. The match referee and the opposing team raised no objections.
Harshit Rana Strikes Immediately as Concussion Substitute in IND vs ENG 4th T20I
Upon joining as a concussion substitute, Harshit Rana was entrusted with the 12th over by captain Suryakumar Yadav. The pacer justified his captain’s faith by taking a wicket on his T20I debut, dismissing Liam Livingstone (9 off 13).
Rana became the first player in T20Is to debut as a concussion substitute and India’s second player to take the field in this role, following Yuzvendra Chahal’s replacement of Ravindra Jadeja against Australia in 2020.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
