Abhishek Sharma, India’s explosive opener, has shed light on the tactical promotion of Harshit Rana in the second T20I against Australia, a move that surprised many but proved effective. Facing an early batting crisis at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Rana was sent in ahead of Shivam Dube, and his collaboration with Sharma was key to rebuilding the innings. The pair forged a crucial 56-run partnership for the sixth wicket, helping India reach three figures. Rana’s impactful 35 runs demonstrated his readiness for such a responsibility.
Sharma expressed his belief in Rana’s batting prowess, even joking about their net practice duels. “He hits sixes off me a lot in the nets,” Sharma shared. “He told me, ‘let’s play a little normal’, and that helped. The right-left combination worked well, and that’s why he went up the order ahead of Shivam Dube.” Rana, brought into the team for his potential with the bat, was wicketless in his bowling spell but his contribution with the willow added much-needed stability to India’s lineup.