MUMBAI: Delhi seamer Harshit Rana was called up on Tuesday to bowl in the India nets ahead of the third Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, which kicks off on Friday.
Rana was recently named in India’s 18-member squad for the upcoming Borde rGavaskar Trophy in Australia. The 22-year-old has impressed this season with both ball and bat, taking 5 for 80 and 2 for 61, and scoring a half-century (59) to lead Delhi to a 10-wicket win over Assam at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. However, TOI has confirmed with sources in the BCCI that Rana has not yet been included in the squad.
Alongside the injured Mayank Yadav, Nitish Reddy and Prasidh Krishna, Rana was chosen as a reserve for India’s three-match Test series against New Zealand. All the reserve pacers bowled in the nets before the first Test in Bengaluru.
“Washington Sundar was added to the squad before the second Test after a meeting among selectors. No such meeting has happened regarding Rana. Realistically, one pacer out of Mohammed Siraj and Akashdeep Singh will partner Jasprit Bumrah, along with three spinners in the eleven. Rana was picked as a reserve bowler for the New Zealand series. With the next Ranji match starting on November 6, he can bowl in the India nets for a couple of days before joining the Delhi squad. As of now, he hasn’t been included in the squad,” a source told TOI.
If not included in the main squad, the seamer is likely to fly to Chandigarh for Delhi’s next Ranji match.
Known for his all-round abilities, Rana was close to making his debut in the Zimbabwe T20I series in July but missed out. Rana’s pace and precision caught the selectors’ eye, earning him a place in India’s T20I squad against Bangladesh, though he did not get a game.
Meanwhile, KL Rahul, who was dropped from the second Test, trained at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday alongside wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel.
