Harshit Rana was the toast of millions of Indians after Perth in December 2024. His aggression, hit-the-deck bowling, the first innings ball to get Travis Head – his selection was considered a masterstroke. Now, Harshit is in the doghouse. Apparently, he is a “quota” selection based on Gautam Gambhir’s KKR connection. He is the favourite whipping boy, the subject of many memes and downright abuse. Check social media, and you will see what I am referring to.
This is no defence of Harshit. He isn’t my relative, and the truth is I don’t even know the man well. Yes, I bumped into him a few times at training in Dubai, but that’s where it ends. But I draw the line at the abuse and the trolling the man is being subjected to. He isn’t picking himself in the squads. He doesn’t make the calls, and yet he is being ridiculed and abused at every level.
This is where Indian cricket fans need to show maturity. Neither was Rana the greatest newbie after Perth, nor is he rubbish within a year of making his red-ball debut. The truth is he has had a poor few months. But then, which player hasn’t gone through a lean patch? On how many occasions had Harshit toured Australia before? How is it that he can’t fail when he has had little or no experience of alien conditions?
Patience. That’s what is lacking in Indian cricket fandom, and the Harshit Rana case is a glaring example. A young man who has just cut his teeth in international cricket and had a good debut has underperformed for some time and is being shellacked. All of a sudden, Prasidh Krishna is the new messiah. But when he fails, there will be a clarion call for someone else!
The fact of the matter is that Harshit had a poor Asia Cup. He was hit all over the park by Pathum Nissanka and looked out of sorts. But even the great Jasprit Bumrah conceded 45 in one of the matches. That’s how the game is and will be. With Harshit, he has some skill sets which the selectors think can help India. He can bowl the heavy ball and hit the deck hard. He is tall and can extract bounce. He is also no mug with the bat, and can play the occasional big shot lower down the order. Every fast bowler takes a little time to adjust, and Harshit is no different. He had an impact in Perth, and he will again in the future.
May be this is where Gambhir, Morne Morkel and Shubman Gill should speak to him. Back him and give him the confidence. Ask him to stay off social media and shut out the memes and the abuse. Cocoon himself from the outside world and focus on the job at hand. If anything, Harshit will be a better cricketer after all of this. On the eve of World Mental Health Day, he could well be a classic case study for how players deal with adverse challenges. And yes, this phase too shall pass.
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