“Harshit Rana Doesn’t Fit The Bill Yet”: India’s ‘Baffling’ Selection vs Australia In 1st T20I Stuns..
The Indian cricket team management’s decision to snub Arshdeep Singh, the highest T20I wicket-taker for the country, for the India vs Australia 1st T20I hasn’t been well received. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep is the only Indian bowler to have taken over 100 wickets in T20Is – 101 in 65 matches. However, for the first T20I, India went in with Harshit Rana and Jasprit Bumrah as the specialist pacers. Former India opener Aakash Chopra was baffled by Arshdeep’s omission in the first T20I.
“It’s quite baffling that India’s highest T20I wicket-taker can’t find a place in the playing XI-even in Australia. Of course, it didn’t happen in the UAE for the Asia Cup. What are the chances of him playing in the World Cup? That’s the first thought that crosses the mind. The biggest takeaway is the philosophy with which this team has been playing for a while-that you need somebody who can bat at No. 8,” Aakash Chopra said on ESPN Cricinfo.
“In this case, Harshit Rana was picked ahead of Arshdeep Singh not because of his bowling ability, but just because of his batting. You could possibly understand if there were a better, more capable batter playing at No. 8. But the sample size we have of Harshit Rana’s batting ability is not big enough to actually suggest that he is a batter who can deliver regularly at No. 8. Harshit Rana doesn’t fit the bill yet.”
Talking about the match, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav was back in his element with some spectacular hits, but inclement weather proved to be a complete dampener as the first T20 International against Australia was called off after a steady spell of showers on Wednesday. With his deputy Shubman Gill (37 not out off 20 balls) also in good nick, Suryakumar showed controlled aggression before unleashing a flurry of attractive strokes en route to his unbeaten 39 off 24 balls. The duo added 62 runs off 35 balls for the second wicket, and both looked good for big scores-which was not to be in the end.
Suryakumar, who had a strike rate of less than 110 and managed only 100 runs in 2025, showed why he was once the world’s No. 1 ranked T20 batter as he picked up a Josh Hazlewood delivery and deposited it over the square-leg fence.
That was the shot of confidence Suryakumar needed in his armoury. It only helped that the Manuka Oval strip had good bounce and carry-two essential co-factors in the Indian skipper’s game.
He farmed the strike for some time until he reached 20, before breaking the shackles in Nathan Ellis’ over-the 10th of the innings-as he uppishly square-cut, followed with an off-drive, and then a huge pull over mid-wicket for a six before the heavens opened up.
At the other end, Gill blended caution and aggression with some lusty blows, including a slog-swept six over cow corner off left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann, which effectively opened the floodgates.
With PTI inputs
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