Border-Gavaskar Trophy: This player once lost 17kg to play cricket, is now set for India Test debut vs Australia

Harshit Rana who was selected in India's senior team squad against Australia has early struggles with injuries.

On October 25, BCCI announced the squad for the Border Gavaskar Trophy, which includes Harshit Rana's name. The 22-year-old fast bowler had earned the limelight after a stellar season in the 2024 Indian Premier League for KKR, is now tying his laces for the maiden call test call.

Earlier he toured with the senior team in the T20I series against Zimbabwe. He was a part of the team in the home series against Bangladesh. Not only that, he was on the reserved bench in the test series against New Zealand.

With the call against Australia, it's high time to count days for his debut in the whites anytime soon.

Harshit Rana faced injury before he was 20

Harshit Rana is on the cusp of a promising career as he gears up for India’s five-match Test tour of Australia. Despite a meteoric rise, Rana has faced considerable setbacks due to injuries. By the age of 20, he had already endured multiple stress fractures, sidelining him from the sport for extended periods.

Initially, it was his back, then it was his groin, then his calf and a niggle in the shoulder. His father Pradeep Rana informed that he took Harshit to many hospitals and even to an Ayurveda facility in Najafgarh. 

When playing cricket looked impossible, it was the inspiration Harshit drew from Navdeep Saini who bowled with his injured groin. Moreover, the 2020-21 Australia tour played a huge role in fuelling Harshit Rana's courage.

A bruised team battled to the winning position in the 2020-21 Australia tour. The injured duo Vihari and Ashwin who batted throughout ensuring a draw at Sydney, and Cheteswar Pujara who took 11 blows on his body at Gabba inspired him more than anyone can imagine.

Harshit Rana dedicates his maiden test call to his Father

Harshit Rana's Pradeep Rana, who once represented CRPF in hammer throw has never left his side. The senior Rana would pull him out of sleep at 4 am, to make him watch India playing in Australia on television.

His father made it a morning routine in winter, in Delhi for a six-year-old Harshit Rana. He even threw tantrums because he wanted to continue sleeping.

It was Pradeep Rana who knocked on all possible doors to keep his son fit for the game. He not only visited doctors but read articles, watched videos and tried applying everything to help his son play on the big stage.

In an interview with the Indian Express, Harshit said, "he told me that it was okay even if I don’t become a professional cricketer. Whatever I am today, it is because of my father.”

The Journey of Shedding 17 Kilograms

During the 2023-24 period, he suffered from a hamstring injury. As a result, he missed that entire session of the Ranji Trophy. 

From November 2023 to the pre-IPL period, he worked hard on his fitness shedding 17 kilograms. This significant weight loss not only improved his performance but also helped him remain injury-free for the next seven months, a crucial period leading to his maiden Test call-up.

Harshit credits the Indian team management for monitoring his workload as he focuses on playing across all formats—Tests, ODIs, and T20s.