“You might feel low…”- Harshit Rana says it's mentally tough to deal with getting dropped from the team

Harshit Rana was part of Indian team that won the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The psychological effects of being cut from the national team, particularly during extended international trips, have been openly discussed by Harshit Rana.  Rana was first left out of India's team for the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England, but he was then included for the first Test before being dropped before the second game at Edgbaston.

 The 23-year-old discussed the psychological strain of trying to establish a position in a star-studded side and the emotional rollercoaster of his early Test journey on Ranveer Allahbadia's podcast.

“The series are long, and the tours last for two to three months. Suppose you're playing the first match and you don’t perform well. You get dropped and have to sit out for the next four matches. At that point, it can get mentally tough.

Still, you have to put in the hard work and keep training on the ground. But mentally, the thought remains that the start wasn’t great, and you wish things had gone differently. That feeling stays with you,” Rana said on Ranveer Allahbadia's podcast.

Rana played two Tests in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia and was part of the Asia Cup 2025-winning Indian team. He spoke about the strength of the dressing room environment.

“Everyone is very supportive. They say, ‘No worries, just keep working hard.’ What stays in everyone's mind is that you are playing for India. What more could you ask for? You might feel low… but cricket is in your heart. You can't stay away from it. Even when things aren’t going your way, you’ll still find yourself on the ground. That’s where you find happiness,” Rana stated.