Fast bowler Harshit Rana has re-joined India’s one-day squad and is available for Saturday’s third ODI against Afghanistan in Chennai, capping a four-month recovery from knee surgery.
The BCCI confirmed the call-up on Friday, noting Rana has “completed his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence” and has “linked up with the ODI squad in Chennai”. Those two lines, tucked into a brief release, end a spell that saw the 25-year-old miss both the men’s T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the entire IPL season with Kolkata Knight Riders.
Rana last played for India in February, hobbling off during a warm-up against South Africa. Surgery followed, the knee mended, and his return now offers captain Shubman Gill another genuine quick capable of attacking with the new ball and closing out at the death.
India are 2-0 up in the three-match series after routine wins in Dharamsala and Lucknow. Afghanistan, competitive in patches, have lacked the batting depth to stretch a home side still experimenting with combinations.
Bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, speaking earlier in the tour, said India want “six or seven ready-to-go seamers by next year’s Champions Trophy”, and Rana’s inclusion fits that brief. His domestic numbers – 23 List-A wickets at 22 apiece last winter – hint at a bowler still climbing.
Updated India squad for 3rd ODI: Shubman Gill (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Harshit Rana.
India and Afghanistan meet at Chepauk on Saturday afternoon; a dry surface and some low-skid bounce are expected, conditions Rana tends to enjoy.
