He is the highest wicket-taker for India in ODI cricket since his debut.
Harshit Rana, being fast-tracked into the India squad across all formats despite not playing many domestic games, led to significant criticism early on. After making his ODI debut against England in February 2025 at home, Rana went on to play his first ICC tournament, the Champions Trophy 2025, where the pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj did not find a place.
The critics deemed the decision reckless, unsure if the inexperienced pacer could handle the pressure of the ICC tournament, especially after a torrid maiden Test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25.
Soon after, Harshit Rana silenced his critics with solid performances against England at home. He emerged as India’s joint-highest wicket-taker with Ravindra Jadeja, claiming six wickets in the three-match ODI series at an average of 24.33. He carried that momentum in the Champions Trophy 2025, snaring four wickets in two games at an average of 15.15 and an economy of 3.97.
The Delhi-born has taken 23 wickets in 13 matches. Since his ODI debut in February 2025, Harshit Rana is the first Indian and third overall cricketer in the list of most wickets. What impressed the most was that despite bowling across all phases, his economy rate is exactly six. This makes him a mainstay in a format where 300 isn’t a safe score nowadays.
In the death overs (41 to 50 over phase), Rana’s stats are impressive. The right-armer has claimed five scalps in 17 overs with an economy of 6.53. This ranks Harshit Rana second in the list for most ODI wickets in death overs among Indians. He is just behind Kuldeep Yadav, who has eight wickets at an economy of 5.18 in 23.1 overs. This makes a case for developing the 24-year-old as a regular death over specialist alongside Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah.
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Only two pacers across the globe made the top 10 wicket-takers list in this middle overs phase (11 to 40). New Zealand’s Nathan Smith leads with 13 wickets at an economy of 6.28, just ahead of Harshit Rana’s 12 at an even tighter 6.05 runs per over. But it took 25 more overs for Smith for that extra one-wicket.
If we put this in India’s perspective, Rana boasts a better strike rate in that phase as well. Kuldeep Yadav, who generally bowls most of his overs during the 11 to 40 over phase, has claimed 12 wickets in 87 overs (43.50 SR) since January 2025. Harshit Rana has a remarkable 12 wickets in 40 overs at a 20 strike rate. This highlights his wicket-taking ability during the middle overs.
Initial setbacks made Harshit seem underprepared, especially after the disappointing outings on Australian soil in Test cricket, where teams identified seam weaknesses. However, he has responded strongly by bowling fuller lengths with the new ball and hitting hard lengths more effectively in the middle overs.
Sharing the dressing room with Mitchell Starc in IPL 2024 and working with bowling coach Dwayne Bravo at KKR helped him develop his skills in death bowling. He now adds wobble delivery and pace to yorkers in his arsenal, which is now visible at the international stage too. This has made Harshit Rana a reliable bowling option for India in ODIs across all phases.
As the T20 World Cup 2026 approaches, starting February 7, Rana’s ODI strategy displays his ability to adapt to conditions quickly. With Mohammed Siraj’s sub-par white-ball form and Mohammed Shami’s absence, the consistency in wicket-taking secures his position as the third seamer alongside Bumrah and Arshdeep. Harshit Rana is no longer just a newbie who was fast-tracked; he has become India’s pace enforcer, delivering when it matters most.
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