Dinesh Karthik has thrown his support behind youngster Harshit Rana’s selection for the Indian Test squad after his standout season with the ball in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Harshit took 19 wickets in 13 matches to help Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) win their third IPL title earlier this year. The 22-year-old also impressed with the ball in the first-round match of the Duleep Trophy, taking four wickets for India D in the first innings of the match against India C. He took another four wickets in the second-round match against India A.
However, Harshit did not find a place in the Indian squad for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh. In a recent interaction, Karthik praised Harshit and said that the selectors could have considered him for the first Test against Bangladesh.
“I thought, could there have been a place for Harshit? I felt he played well and there is something really special about him. But they already have four good medium-pace batsmen,” Karthik told Cricbuzz.
As India prepare to tour Australia later this year for five Tests, Karthik urged the selectors to pick him for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, adding that the youngster can make a difference with his pitches Down Under.
“Harshit Rana. He has special skills, good backspin on the ball, he moves away from the pitch and he is a very talented and fast bowler. I really wish they take him to Australia because he will make a difference there,” he added.
The selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar has picked four seamers for the first Test against Bangladesh. Young fast pacers Akash Deep and Yash Dayal have been added to the squad as substitutes for Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
Indian team for the first Test against Bangladesh: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel , Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah and Yash Dayal.
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