Team India opener Abhishek Sharma has defended the decision to promote fast-bowling all-rounder Harshit Rana up the batting order during a crucial moment in the second T20I against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Amidst widespread debate, Sharma highlighted Rana’s composure and effective approach, which helped stabilize India’s innings after an early collapse. Rana was surprisingly sent in ahead of Shivam Dube in the eighth over, and his partnership with Sharma yielded a vital 56 runs for the sixth wicket, guiding India past the 100-run mark. Rana’s 35 runs proved instrumental in justifying his unexpected elevation.
Speaking post-match, Sharma revealed his confidence in Rana’s batting capabilities, citing their net sessions where Rana often hits him for sixes. “I knew Harshit could bat — he hits sixes off me a lot in the nets,” Sharma stated. “He told me, ‘let’s play a little normal’, and that helped. The right-left combination worked well, and that’s why he went up the order ahead of Shivam Dube.” Rana, who was included for his lower-order hitting, couldn’t secure any wickets with the ball but significantly bolstered India’s batting depth.