India’s young pace sensation Harshit Rana has credited Jasprit Bumrah and bowling coach Morne Morkel for shaping his skills, which helped him deliver a crucial performance in India’s Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh in Dubai. Playing alongside senior pacers Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya, Harshit justified the team management’s faith in him with an impressive spell of 3/31 in 7.4 overs.
India’s decision to prefer Harshit over the more experienced left-armer Arshdeep Singh proved to be a smart move. He made an immediate impact by removing Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto for a two-ball duck, setting the tone for India’s dominance with the ball. His disciplined bowling, in tandem with Shami, played a key role in dismantling Bangladesh’s top order, leaving them reeling at 39/5 by the end of the powerplay.
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Having trained alongside Jasprit Bumrah during India’s Test tour of Australia, Harshit revealed how the ace pacer helped him understand the importance of consistency across different formats.
“Working with Jassi bhai (Jasprit Bumrah) benefits a lot because he has a lot of experience. He tells how to bowl in which format. I picked consistency from him,” Harshit told reporters after the match.
He also acknowledged the contributions of India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel, who has helped him refine his line and length—an area that proved vital in his economical and effective spell against Bangladesh.
“I have learned a lot of things from him. He (Morkel) has worked a lot on my line and length,” he added.
With India securing a dominant six-wicket victory, the focus now shifts to the highly anticipated clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday at the same venue. The rivalry is known for its intense atmosphere and high stakes, but Harshit assured that India would approach it as just another game.
“When you play for India, there is always pressure. We will take it as a normal game,” he said.
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