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Irfan Pathan has thrown his support behind young pacer Harshit Rana for inclusion in India’s playing XI for the first T20I against Australia. The former all-rounder believes Rana deserves a chance after impressing with his all-round contributions — showcasing composure with the ball and handy lower-order batting during the ODI series. The young paceman, who was under the scanner before the start of the series, made a valuable contribution lower down the order – 24* in the second ODI, while running riot with the ball in Sydney with a four-wicket haul to play a crucial role in India’s win there.
Pathan believes Rana’s late cameo in the second ODI has strengthened his case for selection in the T20I series. The former all-rounder highlighted how Rana’s presence at No. 8 could provide India with an ideal balance, combining depth in batting and multiple bowling options.
“Harshit Rana’s cameo in the second ODI would have given the Indian team management a lot of confidence. So if he plays at No.8, India have their order till No.7 sorted, with two all-rounders in Dube and Axar, who can give you at least 6 overs. Then you can also play 2 pacers in Arshdeep and Jasprit, but who will that ne frontline spinner be?” Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
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Meanwhile, Rana’s fiery spell dismantled Australia for just 236, setting the stage for a comfortable chase in Sydney. After skipper Shubman Gill departed for 24, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli steadied the innings with a masterclass partnership. Rohit’s unbeaten 121 and Kohli’s composed 74* guided India home and silenced their critics.
Irfan Pathan backs Varun Chakaravarthy over Kuldeep Yadav
Meanwhile, the veteran all-rounder picked Varun Chakaravarthy over Kuldeep Yadav as the frontline spinner in the XI, suggesting that the former’s ability to bowl in the powerplay might give him the edge over the chinaman.
“I’m thinking towards Chakaravarthy because he can bowl a couple of overs in the powerplay as well, if needed. India also need that bit of a mystery factor in their playing XI. But if the team management goes for Kuldeep, then it is also not a big problem,” he added.
Irfan Pathan’s India Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson(w), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana
