‘You Will Win It For Us’: How Gautam Gambhir Played Pivotal In Harshit Rana’s Maiden India Call-Up

New Delhi: The BCCI on Thursday unveiled Team India’s squads for the upcoming ODIs and T20Is against Sri Lanka, with one of the biggest stories being Suryakumar Yadav’s rise as the new captain in the T20 format. Batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli made their return in the ODIs, while young pacer Harshit Rana received his maiden call-up for the fifty-over format.

The 22-year-old received his T20I call-up earlier this month during the tour of Zimbabwe but didn’t get a chance to play. Now, he will be joining Rohit and Kohli in the ODIs. In an interview with PTI, he credited head coach Gautam Gambhir for his career transformation.

Rana, who steadily climbed through the junior ranks and frequently faced being overlooked, made a significant impact with his standout IPL season this year. His remarkable haul of 19 wickets was pivotal in Kolkata Knight Riders’ triumphant campaign, with Gambhir providing crucial mentorship to the team.

“If my outlook towards the game has changed, a lot of it has got to do with Gauti bhaiyya’s presence in the KKR dressing room and how he changed my mindset. At the elite level, you require skills but more than skills you require the heart to handle the pressure,” Rana said.

“Gauti bhaiyya would always tell me ‘Mere ko tere pe trust hai. Tu match jeetake aayega’. (I trust you, you can win the match),” Rana recalled his interactions with the new India head coach.”

In 2022, Rana embarked on his career with promise, showcasing his talent in seven Ranji Trophy matches for Delhi where he claimed 28 wickets. However, injuries soon hindered his progress, restricting his participation in red-ball cricket. Despite these challenges, he thrived in white-ball formats, delivering standout performances for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy with 22 wickets in 14 games and 28 wickets in 25 T20 matches.

Showcasing his talent on the big stage, he consistently nailed blockhole deliveries, wide yorkers, and slow bouncers while playing at Eden Gardens in front of 60,000 fans.

“If you ask about the pressure part it is Gautam Gambhir’s advice. He would say, ‘what’s the worst thing that will happen? You will get hit and we can lose the match. But if you don’t face your fears, how will you overcome them’?” said Rana.

“There will always be a new day, new match and things will fall in place. That’s what you train for”

Among the bowlers, Mohammed Siraj makes his return to the ODI squad, joined by Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav leading the spin attack. Washington Sundar also earns a spot in the ODI lineup, while Ravindra Jadeja is notably absent.

Alongside Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, KL Rahul makes a comeback to the squad, alongside Rishabh Pant. Shreyas Iyer also returns after a challenging start to the year, which saw him dropped from the BCCI’s annual contracts list.