All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and pacer Harshit Rana made their Test debuts in the opening match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting in Perth on Friday. While Nitish made his India debut in the T20I series against Bangladesh, this is Harshit’s maiden India cap. Rana, who impressed with his performances for the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024, earned a spot in the Indian team and will be part of India’s playing XI in the series opener. Rana has experience in 10 first-class matches, where he has taken 43 wickets. In addition to his bowling, the right-arm pacer has contributed 469 runs, including one century and two fifties.
Nitish’s milestone comes just a month after his impactful T20I debut, marking his rapid rise in international cricket. With Jasprit Bumrah leading India in Rohit Sharma’s absence, Reddy’s all-round capabilities will be vital against a formidable Australian attack.
On the other hand, Harshit Rana, who will turn 23 next month, is a seamer in the Indian side. While Reddy’s strength lies in batting, Rana’s forte is bowling. He can bowl fast, hit the deck hard, and has effective pace variations. His IPL franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders, recognised his talent even before his domestic side, Delhi. Rana was the joint fourth-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2024 and played a key role in KKR’s title win. In first-class cricket, Rana has 43 wickets at an average of 24.00 and 469 runs at an average of 42.63. Notably, he scored an unbeaten 122 off just 86 balls, including nine sixes, though this remarkable knock came against a weaker North-East Zone side.
