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“Would love to be in the meeting”: Ashwin questions Harshit Rana’s selection for AUS series

Poulomi Chakraborty

Ashwin reflects on Rana's selection (Source: @mufaddal_vohra/x.com, @EshaSanju15/x.com)Ashwin reflects on Rana's selection (Source: @mufaddal_vohra/x.com, @EshaSanju15/x.com)

The upcoming high-voltage limited-overs series against Australia has already created a stir with some bold selection calls. Among all, KKR pacer Harshit Rana’s selection in the upcoming tour raised eyebrows.

After former stars to fans raised questions about the move, former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin joined the discussion. Reflecting on the issue, Ashwin addressed Rana’s selection as a ‘questionable’ move.

Ashwin weighs in on Harshit Rana’s call-up

The cricket fans in India were all excited about the upcoming Australia tour for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s arrival in international cricket, but some bold moves of the selection committee grabbed attention. Among them, KKR pacer Harshit Rana, who made his international debut in Australia just last year, has quickly risen to become an all-format player and now finds himself in the squad once again for the upcoming tour.

As the pacer is set to travel for the upcoming series, his call-up stirred controversy. Adding to the intrigue, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin admitted on his YouTube channel that even he isn’t sure why Harshit Rana was picked for the tour. He suggested that Rana’s selection could depend on his lower-order batting ability.

“Why they are selecting him, I am not sure. I would love to be in the selection meeting to know the reason behind his inclusion. From my side, the reason I see is that in Australia we need that fast bowler who can bat. Someone trusts that he can bat, which is why they are selecting him as a potential No. 8. But I am not sure about his batting ability. Two years back he bowled a brilliant pacy delivery in the IPL final that flew off the edge (Nitish Kumar Reddy's dismissal). He has played for a while now for that one delivery,” he said.

Talent aside, Rana’s selection remains a big question mark

Though the move is debatable, Ashwin hailed Rana’s abilities. While calling him an ‘X-factor’, Ashwin also described the selection committee’s decision to pick him as 'very questionable'.

“Harshit Rana might come across in some way from a distance. But only when you face a heavy ball from him, you'll understand that he has something. Whether he deserves selection or not is a secondary issue, but he's got some X-factor; let's not forget that. Yet, if you ask me if he deserves selection now, it's very questionable,” Ashwin said.

After making his debut in Australia in the latest edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he already represented the nation in all three formats. In 10 matches across the formats, he secured 19 wickets. Yet, his inconsistent performances have sparked debates among fans, who haven’t held back from linking his frequent selections to his KKR connection with Gautam Gambhir.