A moment of pure delight (and surprise) came in Harshit Rana’s way in the ongoing fourth T20I against England in Pune. He was supposed to warm the bench the entire game, watching his teammates run riot and clinch the five-match series. But a blow on the helmet of Shivam Dube, changed the entire plan for Rana. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer was called in as a ‘concussion substitute’ in place of Dube in the second innings.
Harshit Rana and his peculiar debut
Harshit Rana, the concussion substitute for Shivam Dube, strikes with his 2nd ball in T20I cricket
— InsideSport (@InsideSportIND) January 31, 2025
Liam Livingstone departs for: Disney+Hotstar#INDvsENG #HarshitRana #LiamLivingstone #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/x2iJ3udYvv
What a debut for Harshit Rana! The Indian pacer stepped in as a concussion substitute for Shivam Dube in the fourth T20I against England in Pune, and boy, did he make an impact! Rana dismissed England’s explosive Liam Livingstone with just his second delivery, sending shockwaves through the opposition camp. Initially, England captain Jos Buttler was not happy with india trying to bring in Rana as he isn’t a like-for-like replacement for Shivam Dube.
What’s even more remarkable is that Rana’s debut came in unusual circumstances, making him part of a rare group of cricketers who’ve made their international debut as concussion substitutes. He’s joined an exclusive club that includes players like Brian Mudzinganyama, Neil Rock, and Matt Parkinson, among others. More recently, Kamran Ghulam (ODI, Pakistan, 2023) and Bahir Shah (Test, Afghanistan, 2023) have joined the list, with Rana becoming the latest entrant in 2025.
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