Pace bowler Harshit Rana, who has been serving as a traveling reserve with the Indian Test team during their ongoing series against New Zealand, is set to be released to play for Delhi in the upcoming Ranji Trophy match against Assam. The decision comes after Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) requested Rana’s services due to the unavailability of Navdeep Saini, who has been named in India A’s squad touring Australia.
Rana, who has not featured in the second Test against New Zealand, will be allowed to represent Delhi in the Ranji Trophy, as per reports from Times of India. The match between Delhi and Assam is scheduled to commence on Saturday, October 26, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Rana’s release from the Indian setup follows a similar move for Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was allowed to play for Andhra against Gujarat. Rana has played nine first-class matches to date, claiming 36 wickets and even scoring a century with the bat.
Rana’s inclusion in the Indian setup has been a regular occurrence since Gautam Gambhir took over as head coach, having previously mentored him at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during IPL 2024. However, Rana is yet to make his debut in any format for India.
With Rana’s release confirming that he will not make his India debut before October 31, it provides Kolkata Knight Riders with the opportunity to retain him as an uncapped player ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Uncapped players can be retained for as low as Rs 4 crore.
Rana played a pivotal role in KKR’s third IPL title triumph in 2024, claiming 19 wickets and finishing among the top five wicket-takers.
