BCCI officially adds Harshit Rana to the India squad for the first test against England

Harshit Rana was part of India A in an unofficial test series against England Lions.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has added fast bowler Harshit Rana to the Indian Cricket Team squad for the opening test match against the England Cricket Team. Under new skipper Shubman Gill, they will clash with the Ben Stokes-led side in the five-match test series, starting at Headingley in Leeds from June 20. Both sides have started preparations for the opening encounter.

Harshit Rana was part of the recent unofficial test series between India A and England Lions. The right-arm pacer was picked in the playing XI in the first unofficial test, but was rested in the second game. He clinched one wicket in the first match.

Notably, the 23-year-old speedster was part of India’s previous test series against Australia. He played two matches during the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, clinching four wickets. Rana has also played five ODI games and one T20I so far.

India’s updated squad for first test against England

The BCCI informed about the addition of Rana to the squad for the first test in an official statement on Wednesday, June 18.

“The Men’s Selection Committee has added Harshit Rana to India’s squad for the first Test in Leeds against England.Rana, who was a part of the India A squad has linked up with the team as India begin preparations for the first Test. The Five-match Test series kicks off at Headingley, Leeds on June 20, 2025,” read the official statement

Below is India’s updated squad for the Headingley test:

India’s updated squad for first Test: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana. 

The series will conclude with the final game at The Kia Oval in London, slated to commence on July 31. The hosts will be short of key pacers like Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, and Gus Atkinson, all of whom are undergoing recoveries from injuries. The England vs India series will be the first campaign for both sides in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27. Neither team reached the final of the previous cycle.

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