Pacer Harshit Rana has come under fire from former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin for his costly spell against Sri Lanka, in which he gave up 54 runs in four overs despite taking just one wicket. Before facing Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final, India, under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, received a serious scare in their last group encounter.
The Men in Blue set out to chase the Lankan Lions 203 runs after batting first. However, Pathum Nissanka’s outstanding century forced a Super Over. Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested before the crucial final match against Pakistan, was replaced by Rana in the starting lineup. But according to Ashwin, his bowling appeared feeble, therefore he was unable to make an impression.
Additionally, he accused Harshit Rana of playing cricket in a “amateurish” way.
I just have one thing to say about Harshit Rana.
He’s participated in a couple games. He hasn’t participated in any games. Playing one game and then sitting out is difficult. In addition to making you a little rusty, it might seriously undermine your confidence. However, Harshit’s errors against Sri Lanka were incredibly amateurish,” Ashwin stated on his “Ash Ki Baat” YouTube channel.
“After the powerplay, I believed the game was over, but India came back with a bang. The speed was being increased by Harshit Rana. After striking him in the head, he whacked him again with a slower ball. Nissanka did a fantastic job playing it. After making a quick delivery, Rana was simply bowling slower balls. One slow, one fast, one slow, and one fast. It’s a rather unprofessional approach to cricket. “This should teach him a lot,” he continued.
Vice-president of the BCCI Rajeev Shukla, meanwhile, congratulated the Indian squad on their impressive performance in the current T20 Asia Cup and said he was confident they would win the championship. He praised the team’s undefeated record in the tournament thus far and emphasised that they have a well-balanced mix.
“The Asia Cup 2025 has seen outstanding performances from our squad. The group works well together. I have no doubt that we will win the Asia Cup and take home the trophy. Shukla was quoted by NDTV Sports as saying, “Best wishes to Team India.”
In the much awaited final, which is set for September 28 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, India will now take on bitter rivals Pakistan.
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