Harshit Rana to make India debut in 3rd T20I against Bangladesh? India coach drops hint

India National Cricket Team assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate dropped a massive hint about Harshit Rana making his debut for the team in the third T20I against the Bangladesh National Cricket Team. He said that their plan ahead of the series was to win the first two games and then try out a few players.

India National Cricket Team have already sealed the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh National Cricket Team after their two rollicking performances. They now will be playing the dead rubber third T20I, which is slated to take place at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on 12th October (Saturday).

With India winning the series, it will be a great opportunity for them to try their bench strength. One of the players that will be under the spotlight will be Kolkata Knight Riders fast bowler Harshit Rana, who has been traveling with the team for a while but is yet to make his debut.

Harshit Rana has been performing consistently in the domestic circuit as well as in the IPL. The fast bowler was at his best in the IPL 2024. He was amongst the top performers with the ball for Kolkata Knight Riders and played a huge role in the team winning their third title.

Harshit Rana also breathed fire with the ball in Duleep Trophy 2024 and because of that, he has been included in the Indian team as well.

So someone like Harshit Rana - we are keen to give him a game - Ryan Ten Doeschate

Ahead of the 3rd T20I against Bangladesh, India assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate said that they are keen to give Harshit Rana a game. He also stressed that there are a lot of other options as well to try. Speaking to reporters, he explained:

“There is nice depth in the squad. A lot of our guys have IPL experience. We try to expose as many guys as we can to international cricket. So someone like Harshit Rana - we are keen to give him a game. Tilak came into the squad a bit later (to replace the injured Shivam Dube). Jitish is there as well. There are options. The plan was to win the series and then try a few new faces for the last game."

We want to build a strong core of players - Ryan Ten Doeschate

Ryan Ten Doeschate further stressed that they are trying to build a core squad with major tournaments around the corner. He also claimed that they want to see where each player stands in Indian cricket. He elaborated:

"We want to build a strong core of players. With the 50-over Champions Trophy (early 2025), T20 Asia Cup (late 2025) and the 2026 T20 World Cup coming up, we want to know where everyone stands in Indian cricket."

We're trying to push the limits of what we can do as a team - Ryan Ten Doeschate

Ryan Ten Doeschate added that they are trying to push the limits of what they can do as a team. He said that they are trying to provide freedom to the players, who are good enough to hit every ball out of the park. He said:

"We're trying to push the limits of what we can do as a team. We've obviously got the quality to do it, and then it's about giving the players the belief that they're in a safe space, to know that if it's not going right, it's okay.

"It's just about giving them the freedom that they can go out there and do it and they're certainly good enough to do it. So, it's just the mindset of looking to score and looking to hit every single ball in the 120 balls," he concluded.