Who is KKR pacer Harshit Rana? Decoding his stats
What's the story
Young pacer Harshit Rana pulled off an absolute heist for Kolkata Knight Riders in their 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday. He defended six runs off the final five balls as KKR kick-started their campaign with a thrilling four-run triumph. Rana ended with figures worth 3/33 in four overs. Here we decode his profile and stats.
Spell
Rana tasked with a tough job
Rana drew the first blood for KKR in the sixth over, dismissing a set Mayank Agarwal (32) with a well-executed short delivery. While Rana bowled three overs in the powerplay, his final over was the 20th with SRH needing 13 to win. A well-set Heinrich Klaasen (63) hammered the first bowl for a six as SRH's win looked certain at this point.
Final over heroics
Rana showcases nerves of steel
Rana only conceded a single on the second ball before dismissing Shahbaz Ahmed with a length delivery. Newly-arrived Marco Jansen managed a single off the fourth delivery. Klaasen went for a big shot on the penultimate ball but could not time it properly as Suyash Sharma took a brilliant catch. Pat Cummins could not manage any run off the final ball.
Debut season
Who is Harshit Rana?
Harshit Rana is a right-arm pacer who plays for Delhi in domestic cricket. He made his First-Class debut during the 2022/23 Ranji Trophy against Assam in Guwahati. Rana picked up 21 wickets in five games in the tournament at an average of 26.66. The pace-bowling all-rounder also scored 152 runs at 30.40. He made his List A and T20 debuts earlier in 2022.
IPL stats
KKR bought Rana in IPL 2022
KKR picked Rana in the 2022 IPL mega auction for his base price of Rs. 20 lakh. However, he played just two matches in that season, managing one wicket. Rana played six games in 2023 and returned with five wickets at 29.40. He has now raced to nine scalps in as many IPL games at 25.67 (ER: 8.88).
Numbers
Here are his overall stats
The 22-year-old Rana has overall played just 13 T20s so far, managing 12 wickets at 26. While he has recorded 28 First-Class scalps at 26.35, he owns 22 wickets in List A cricket at 23.45. Notably, the all-rounder hammered his maiden FC ton in the 2024 Ranji Trophy. Overall, he boasts 343 runs in red-ball cricket at 49.
Summary
Here is the match summary
KKR were off to a dismal start and were 51/4. However, Philip Salt (54) and Andre Russell (64*) powered KKR to 208/7. Ramandeep Singh contributed with a fiery 35. In reply, SRH were off to a fine start before losing their way in the middle. Klaasen reignited their hopes with a whirlwind half-century but it wasn't enough as KKR won by four runs.