KKR's Harshit Rana 'Left New Zealand Shivering' with Courageous Batting Cameo, Says Kris Srikkanth

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Harshit Rana earned high praise for his unexpected and courageous batting display during India's recent ODI series loss against New Zealand. Despite the team falling short in the series decider, Rana's aggressive half-century at number eight provided a significant spark to the chase.

Former India opener Kris Srikkanth lauded the 24-year-old's performance, noting that his power-hitting instilled fear in the opposition. Rana walked out to bat with India struggling at 178/6 while chasing a mammoth 338. He then stitched a crucial 99-run partnership with Virat Kohli, contributing 52 runs off just 43 balls, which briefly reduced the daunting asking rate and gave the hosts a fighting chance. This cameo highlighted Rana's potential as a valuable lower-order contributor, a trait highly prized in the IPL format.

Fellow former international Zaheer Khan also echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that Rana's innings was threefold more than what was expected of a lower-order batter in that high-pressure situation. While Rana is primarily known for his pace bowling, his ability to deliver under pressure with the bat offers a significant boost to his all-round credentials ahead of the upcoming IPL season.