India pacer Harshit Rana insists he is “fully match-ready” ahead of the Asia Cup 2025, crediting his recent stint in the Delhi Premier League (DPL) as ideal preparation for the high-profile tournament.
The 22-year-old, who has been included in India’s Asia Cup squad, stressed that there is no question of him being underprepared.
“It is not at all that I have become out of practice. In the last 20-25 days, I have played 12-13 T20 matches. So, my practice is completely on because DPL was going on. Before that, our team’s practice was going on. So that is a plus point for me — I am bowling well in the matches and overall performance has been good,” Rana told PTI Videos.
Rana, who last featured for India during the Champions Trophy in February, was briefly part of the Test squad in England earlier this summer. He also made his T20I debut in January as a concussion substitute against England, impressing with figures of 3 for 33.
While his IPL season drew mixed reactions — 15 wickets in 13 matches but with an economy rate of over 10 — Rana remains upbeat about contributing to India’s Asia Cup campaign.
What excites him the most, however, is the chance to share the new ball again with Jasprit Bumrah.
“I can’t tell you what Jassi (Jasprit Bumrah) bhai brings to the table. Playing with him is really special, he makes things easy for us. If he’s around, the pressure on us is minimal,” Rana said.
“I try to stay calm, it’s always pretty exciting to wear the India jersey and play. With the kind of quality bowling unit we have right now, I try to give my best every time without thinking too much about the outcome.”
Despite his confidence, Rana may find it difficult to break into the playing XI, with Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Hardik Pandya expected to form India’s first-choice pace attack. But for the youngster, just being part of the squad at such a stage is motivation enough.
India will open their Asia Cup campaign against UAE on September 10 before the marquee clash against Pakistan on September 14 in Dubai. For Harshit Rana, the tournament presents another chance to prove that his time in the Indian setup has only just begun.
