3 reasons why Harshit Rana should play for India in T20 World Cup 2026

Harshit Rana is one of the pacers in India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2026.

The battleground for the T20 World Cup 2026 is set in India and Sri Lanka, where 20 teams will clash for the title from February 7 onwards. Indian Cricket Team are placed in Group A in the ICC tournament and will aim to defend their title.

The Suryakumar Yadav & Co. were the first team to announce their squad for T20 World Cup 2026. The Men-in-Blue have picked a strong combination of youngsters and experienced players, who will leave no stone unturned to steal a second consecutive trophy for team.

While Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy will lead the team’s spin attack, the responsibility for the pace department will be on Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, and Arshdeep Singh. The trio will have the duty to dominate the opposition and provide breakthroughs at crucial moments.

Notably, Harshit Rana will play his first T20 World Cup and will be in focus. In the past, his selection in Indian Team became a talk of the town among cricket fans with selectors allotting him numerous opportunities despite less experience.

After getting a spot in T20 World Cup squad, the right-arm pacer will look forward to proving his mettle with his performance. Let’s discuss three reasons why Rana should play for India in ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

3 reasons why Harshit Rana should play for India in T20 World Cup 2026

3. Surprise bowler for opposition teams

The 24-year-old has only featured in eight T20I games so far and has played against a handful of nations. Hence, he will be a surprise bowler for many teams in T20 World Cup, which can turn out to be a big advantage for India.

Many opposition batters would be unaware of Rana’s tactics, which will help him to overpower them during the tournament.

2. Consistent wicket-taker & provides breakthroughs

Since his international debut in 2025, Rana has clinched nine wickets in seven innings at an average of 27.0 and an economy of 10.12. Except for one match against Australia, he has claimed wickets in every match he has played.

Hence, his consistency in getting wickets is a positive point in his favour. Moreover, Rana has delivered an impressive performance against big teams like South Africa, England, and New Zealand in the shortest format.

With his speed, clever variations and hit-the-deck skills, Rana has the ability to dominate opposition batters. In a few T20I games, he bagged big breakthroughs at the start to provide a strong start to the team. Notably, his bowling strike rate of 16.0 is better than that of Bumrah and Arshdeep, and proves his ability to get wickets consistently. Therefore, he can be a brilliant bowler in the powerplay overs for India during T20 World Cup 2026.

3. Handy batter down the order

Rana cannot only dominate with the ball, but he also has the ability to score runs. This was evident in the 3rd ODI against New Zealand earlier this month, when Rana hammered a half-century in the losing cause.

If India suffers a batting collapse in the middle-order in any games in T20 World Cup 2026, Rana can add support at the bottom. Moreover, his batting skills will also help to get extra runs in the death overs, if the need arises.

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