Harshit Rana spoke about his camaraderie with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
Harshit Rana, the Delhi pacer, who received his maiden India Test call-up for the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024), said that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are the two batters he likes the most to bowl in nets.
Rana was recently also called up for the Bangladesh T20I series but didn’t get to make his debut for India.
Rana, talking after his fifer for Delhi against Assam in the Ranji Trophy game in Delhi, stated that he enjoys bowling to batting legends Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the nets because they are constantly focused and offer him valuable coaching.
"I love bowling to both of them (Rohit and Virat) in the nets because they also bat with the same intent in the nets as they do in a match. So there is no scope for you to make a mistake or bowl ordinary to them. I also spoke to Virat [Kohli] bhaiya and Rohit [Sharma] bhaiya, so they just told me to focus on my length and I am trying the same thing here," said Rana to ESPNCricinfo.
Rana also detailed the Australia trip with Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah, the pace leaders, and opened up about his relationship with them.
"Recently when I was with the Indian team, I used to keep talking to Jassi [Jasprit Bumrah] and [Mohammed] Siraj bhaiya that if someday I get a chance to play there [in Australia], what should I do and what should I not do, which length will be right there and which is not. I have got an idea of all these things from both the bowlers and talking to them has helped me a lot," he stated.
Rana was one of several new players named for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, including wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel, opener Abhimanyu Easwaran, and young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Rana claimed that he had received no indications of joining the team and that his selection was a "big deal" because his competitive gameplay is equivalent to that of the Australians.
"Only when the team was announced did I know I was going to Australia. But I had indications that I might be selected for the Australia tour because they had me with the team to prepare. Being selected for the Australia tour is a big deal for me. The kind of competitive attitude I like to play cricket with on the field is very similar to Australia's," Rana said.
He added that although his father had always wanted him to play a Test match against England at Lord's, he prefers Australia.
"It was my father's dream that I play a Test against England sometime at Lord's, but I personally like Australia more," said Rana.
The 22-year-old claimed that both as a person and as a cricket player, the exposure and contact with the Indian team had really benefited him.
"I have been with the Indian team continuously since the IPL and I have learnt a lot of things there. This lesson is not only about cricket but also about life, how a sportsperson advances his career and life. Even as a cricketer, I have grown a lot by being with the Indian team," he concluded.
(ESPNCricinfo inputs)