Harshit Rana has potential to become multi-format bowler for India: Coach Negi

Harshit Rana's rapid rise from net bowler to IPL champion and Test debutant impresses coach N.S. Negi.

Harshit Rana's meteoric rise might have come as a surprise to many but not his coach in his formative years, N.S. Negi, who has seen the strapping youngster mature into a pacer with the "potential to become a multi-format bowler for India".

Starting as a net bowler with Gujarat Titans in 2022, Harshit played a key role in guiding Kolkata Knight Riders to IPL glory in 2024, and announced his arrival on the international stage with a dream debut in the opening Border-Gavaskar Test at Perth, where he returned figures of 48 for 3 in the first innings.

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Negi, Harshit's coach from his U19 days in Delhi, couldn't hide his joy on seeing his ward's exploits on a bouncy and seaming Perth pitch.

"Harshit is a very talented bowler. He had been bowling extremely well in the last two seasons of the Ranji Trophy. Last year, when I was the fielding coach of the Delhi Ranji team, he made his debut and bowled extremely well.

"It is just the beginning; he is one such player who should go on and play at least 70-80 Test matches for India...in fact he should go on and play all three formats for India," Negi told PTI Videos in an interview.

Rana inclusion in the side raised many eyebrows given the fact that he had just 10-odd first-class games under his belt. But Negi felt this was the right time to debut him in Tests given his amazing bowling statistics.