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Former Indian opener Abhinav Mukund said that pacer Harshit Rana has been India's best-performing ODI bowler in the last two to three years and added that he has a lot of potential with the bat.
Mukund, who represented India in seven Tests, was speaking on 'The Great Indian Cricket Show' on Doordarshan. Speaking on the shot, Mukund spoke on how the team management is looking to balance bowling variations with crucial lower-order batting depth. While highlighting the stark contrast in what Nitish Kumar Reddy and Hardik Pandya bring to the table, Mukund explained why one young pacer has earned an immediate spot in the one-day international setup. Mukund said, "Harshit Rana has a lot of potential with the bat. The Indian team management trusts him a lot and believes that he has batting ability and can play at number 8. Harshit Rana is a walk-in for me in terms of ODIs. This is the thing; we mix formats a little bit. So Harshit Rana has been the best-performing ODI bowler in the last two or three years." In 14 ODIs, Harshit has taken 26 wickets at an average of 27.38, with a four-fer to his name and an economy rate of 6.21. In the previous T20I series against Ireland, Harshit managed four wickets at an average of over 10, with best figures of 3/24. He added, "Nitish Kumar's strength is different, and Hardik's (Pandya) strength is different. So, if Nitish Kumar can give you overs with the new ball and in the middle overs, you should test their strengths, at which phase of the game they are good to bat and good to bowl," he added. Both Nitish and Hardik are currently battling injuries. While Hardik has not been included in any squads for T20Is and ODIs till Asian Games, Nitish was forced to miss the Ireland and England T20Is due to injury, making way for all-rounder Suryansh Shedge. (ANI)
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