India’s squad for Asia Cup 2025 had more than a few surprises. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar unveiled the 15-man squad alongside captain Suryakumar Yadav on Tuesday. One of the more contentious decisions was the inclusion of Harshit Rana for the tournament. The KKR pacer’s inclusion came ahead of the likes of Prasidh Krishna and Harshal Patel.
The Harshit Rana debate – Did India make the correct choice?
Harshit Rana was fast tracked to the Indian set up following a breakout campaign in IPL 2024. He played in the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, and made his debuts in both ODI and T20I. Rana is highly rated by coach Gautam Gambhir, who worked with him during their days in KKR.
The 23-year-old has the ability to crank up the pace, bowling in excess of 140 kmph. He is also a handy option with bat in hand, though Rana is yet to fill up on that promise. Harshit however is more than capable to hold his bat at No.8, an option India lack in the squad. It is on that ability that Harshit leapfrogged competition, as per ESPNCricinfo.
But could India have looked at another way?
Harshit Rana had a lacklustre IPL 2025 as Kolkata Knight Riders failed terribly in their title defence. Prasidh Krishna was star of the tournament, winning the purple cap for his 25 wickets. The Gujarat Titans bowled largely in the middle overs, choking up the runs and running through batting orders. His economy of under 8.5 is almost 2 runs less than what Harshit conceded last season. Krishna toured with the Indian team in England and returned with 14 wickets in 3 Test matches.
| Player | Matches | Wickets | BBI | Average | Economy | Strike rate |
| Harshal Patel | 13 | 16 | 4/28 | 26.87 | 9.8 | 16.4 |
| Harshit Rana | 13 | 15 | 3/25 | 29.86 | 10.18 | 17.6 |
| Prasidh Krishna | 15 | 25 | 4/41 | 19.52 | 8.27 | 14.1 |
A case for Harshal Patel
India’s slower ball specialist. It was only a couple of years ago that Harshal Patel was India’s premier T20I bowler. He has since fallen down the pecking order, but his skills remain at the highest level. With the Asia Cup 205 set to be played in slow and turning surfaces in the UAE, Patel’s ability to roll his fingers over the ball would have been a valuable asset. The 34-year-old picked up 16 wickets in 13 games in IPL 2025 and was one of the few bright spots in Sunrisers campaign.
Ajit Agarkar has put trust in Gautam Gambhir’s judgement and Harshit Rana’s potential ability to hit sixes. Rana picked up a 3-fer on his T20I debut, his only game in format for India till date. Captain Suryakumar Yadav would hope Harshit can repay the faith and deliver in the Asia Cup 2025
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