'People will always talk. I'm not bothered' - Harshit Rana after memorable ODI debut against England
Harshit Rana finished with figures of 3 for 53 in his quota of seven overs.
India’s young pacer Harshit Rana made a statement on and off the field during his ODI debut against England in Nagpur on February 6. While his performance with the ball helped the hosts to a four-wicket victory, however, he reflected on his mindset.
The 23-year-old's debut had become a talking point, with many questioning his inclusion over Arshdeep Singh in the playing XI. Furthermore, his selection for the Test series in Australia had already been discussed. Adding to the controversy was his recent T20I debut, which grabbed attention when he replaced Shivam Dube as a concussion substitute, a change that England questioned as not being like-for-like.
Despite the external noise, Rana remained focused and performed brilliantly in his first ODI. Addressing the media, Rana slammed the outside chatter surrounding his selection.
"People will always talk. I just want to play, good or bad. I'm not bothered. My only focus is to deliver for my country."
Also Read: Kevin Pietersen opens up on craze for Virat Kohli at Nagpur Stadium despite missing 1st ODI
Cricket has ups and downs: Harshit Rana
The Delhi-born's debut game was far from ideal, as England’s opener Phil Salt hammered him for 26 runs in a single over. However, the pacer made a solid comeback, dismissing Ben Duckett and Harry Brook in the same over before adding the crucial wicket of Liam Livingstone. He finished with figures of 3/53, becoming the first Indian bowler to claim a three-wicket haul on his debut across all formats.
"You only get to know if you're playing when you arrive at the ground. But I always keep myself ready, knowing anything can happen at any time. Cricket has ups and downs. I just focused on my length and got my rewards later. I didn’t change anything in my second spell, just hit the right areas. This format is tough because it’s long, and you need to play different roles at different times. But with proper practice, it becomes manageable," the pacer said.
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