Aakash Chopra says, “Harshit Rana’s debut gives indication that Bumrah might not be there in Champions Trophy”
Aakash Chopra believes Harshit Rana’s ODI debut suggests JaspritBumrah is unlikely to play in the ICC Champions Trophy. Chopra speculates that since Rana debuted ahead of Mohammed Siraj, he’s more likely to be selected for the Champions Trophy if Bumrah isn’t available. Reports previously indicated it was “absolutely impossible” for Bumrah to regain full fitness in time for the tournament.
In his debut match against England, Rana took 3 wickets for 53 runs. Despite conceding 26 runs in one over to Phil Salt, Rana made a comeback, dismissing Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, and Liam Livingstone. Rana revealed that a conversation with Indian captain Rohit Sharma led to a tactical change of bowling tighter, which helped him secure the wickets.
Rana’s journey to the Indian team included impressing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for KKR, leading to international debuts across all three formats within three months. Rana himself described it as a “dream life.” He was drafted into the ODI squad as cover for Jasprit Bumrah.