Fiery, Fearless, and Under the Scanner: Harshit Rana Dominates Headlines After IND vs NZ ODI

India fast bowler Harshit Rana has become the most talked-about name in Indian cricket after a high-impact performance in the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara, where his wickets, aggression and technique all came under intense public and expert scrutiny.[2][3][4]

On the field, Rana justified the team management’s growing faith in him. Defending a strong New Zealand start, he delivered a decisive spell, finishing with 2 for 65 in 10 overs and, crucially, dismissing both openers who had put on a 117-run stand.[2][3] Henry Nicholls (62 off 69) and Devon Conway (56 off 67) fell to Rana in quick succession, swinging the momentum India’s way after the visitors threatened a huge total.[2][3] In the closing stages, captain Shubman Gill trusted Rana with a continuous spell from the 43rd to the 49th over when Daryl Mitchell was set and looking to accelerate, and the pacer contained the scoring with figures of 4-0-31-0 in that phase.[3]

Former India cricketers were quick to highlight how far the 24-year-old has come. Mohammed Kaif praised the right-armer’s growing range, noting that Rana now bowls with pace, uses slower balls, swings the new ball and is unafraid to employ the bouncer, calling it a heartening sign for Indian cricket.[2] Irfan Pathan, too, underlined that Rana has been consistently providing breakthroughs for India in recent months, reinforcing the sense that he is an emerging long-term option in the pace attack.[2] Sanjay Manjrekar has also described Rana as one of the “finds” of the current Indian set-up, stressing his ability to operate effectively with the new ball as well as in later spells by drawing on his T20 skills to out-think attacking batters.[4]

Numbers back up that optimism. Since his international debut in 2023, and particularly after his Test breakthrough in Perth in 2024, Rana has evolved into a rare all-format pace option for India.[1][4] In 2025, he finished as India’s top wicket-taker in ODIs with 20 wickets, and he also contributed in T20Is with seven wickets while consolidating his place in the Test side.[1] In ODIs alone, he now has 22 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 26.18, with a best of 4 for 39, numbers that underline his knack for striking at key moments rather than merely building pressure.[3] At franchise level, he leads the pace attack for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, a responsibility that mirrors the growing trust he enjoys with the national team.[4]

Yet Rana’s rise has not been without debate. Before the first ODI, his selection ahead of the more experienced Arshdeep Singh drew criticism on social media, with detractors labelling him expensive and questioning whether he should be an automatic pick in the XI.[3][4] That criticism forms part of a larger online conversation that veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle addressed bluntly during the broadcast from Vadodara. Bhogle said he has had to “tune” his social media algorithm to avoid the “nonsense” he reads about Harshit Rana, insisting that the pacer is “among the leading wicket-takers for India” and that some of the online commentary around him is simply unreasonable.[1] Bhogle’s remarks have sparked discussion about the treatment of young players in the age of viral clips and instant judgments.

Hindustan Times, meanwhile, described Rana as still “underrated” despite his growing record, noting that the biggest criticism against him has been the perception that he can leak runs.[3] The same analysis pointed out that India’s team management clearly values his ability to break stubborn stands with the older ball, as seen in Vadodara when he was thrown the ball at 117 for 0 and responded with wickets in successive spells.[3] Coach Gautam Gambhir, who has worked closely with Rana at KKR, is said to be particularly pleased with the maturity the bowler is beginning to show in different phases of the innings.[3]

While his performance levels are drawing praise, Rana’s bowling action has come under technical scrutiny. Former India batter and respected domestic coach WV Raman issued a public caution over the alignment of Rana’s delivery stride, warning that if not refined, it could expose him to a potential lower-back injury in the future.[4] Raman stressed that he would be delighted to be proven wrong but urged timely adjustments as Rana’s workload rises across formats.[4] So far, the pacer has avoided major injuries, aided by his athletic build and strong upper body, but with India increasingly viewing him as a three-format workhorse, his fitness and biomechanics are expected to be monitored closely by team and NCA support staff.[4]

The first ODI also underlined how tightly knit India’s current bowling group is. Captain Shubman Gill confirmed before the match that India were going in with six bowlers: spinners Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, alongside the pace trio of Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana.[6] Rana’s role in that configuration was clearly defined as a strike option who could attack at the top and return at critical junctures. Fielding lapses briefly threatened to undermine his efforts when Kuldeep Yadav dropped a straightforward catch off his bowling, an incident that left both Rana and Gill stunned on the field.[6] The moment highlighted both the fine margins in ODI cricket and the emotional edge with which Rana competes.

Rana’s combative personality again made headlines when reports surfaced of a fiery on-field exchange with New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell during the same match.[7] While details of the verbal back-and-forth remain limited, footage and descriptions circulating in the hours after the game describe an intense confrontation that required the umpires’ attention.[7] The incident has added to Rana’s image as a bowler who thrives on aggression and confrontation, a trait that some fans celebrate and others criticise as over-the-top.

Off the ball, his growing importance was underlined by tactical decisions around him. Late in India’s chase, observers noted that Rana walked out to bat ahead of established all-rounder Washington Sundar, prompting questions because Sundar is typically a reliable lower-order batter.[5] Subsequent reports indicated that Sundar had left the field earlier in the day with a suspected side strain after his fifth over, leading to concerns that he might not be fully fit to bat a long innings.[5] Visuals reportedly showed Sundar padded up as backup, but the think-tank appeared wary of exposing him unless absolutely necessary, which explains why Rana was promoted in the order.[5]

Taken together, the latest developments paint a picture of Harshit Rana as one of India’s most closely watched young cricketers: statistically effective, temperamentally aggressive and technically still a work in progress. His showing against New Zealand strengthened his case as a genuine all-format option, even as expert voices call for smarter workload management and minor technical tweaks to safeguard his fitness.[1][3][4] With senior figures such as Bhogle, Kaif, Pathan and Manjrekar backing his talent, and with Gambhir and Gill keen to use him in pressure roles, Rana is likely to remain at the heart of India’s fast-bowling conversation in the coming months.