Former India player-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has said that Harshit Rana has rightly been included in the Indian squad for the third ODI against Afghanistan despite not having played any domestic cricket. He added that the right-arm pacer would have proved his fitness in simulation matches in the Center of Excellence (COE), as no domestic cricket is being played currently as well. However, the final ODI between India and Afghanistan will be played in Chennai on Saturday, June 20 where India already won the series.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “Harshit Rana’s name has come in the Indian team. Someone was asking me how Harshit’s name came when he hasn’t played any domestic cricket. So let me just tell all of you that the rule to play domestic cricket is only applicable when domestic cricket is happening. Apart from that, you come after playing a few simulation matches in the COE, and it’s equal for everyone.”
“I understand that Harshit Rana gets a lot of hate, and you might say that I am doing PR in this video. I am not doing PR. I am just explaining the protocol to you. The protocol is the same for everyone. You don’t like me saying this, but it’s the truth, and it feels bitter automatically,” he further added.
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However, Aakash Chopra also shared that Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya will also potentially return to the Indian side without playing any domestic cricket as well.
“If Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya play now, they won’t get a chance to play anything in between, but they will straightaway walk into the team because you will already come after practising and doing match simulation in the COE. The same is true for Harshit Rana,” he said.
“Whether you like him or you hate him, you will have to understand one thing. The rules will remain the same for everyone. Don’t focus on a specific person and follow the protocols. If domestic cricket is happening, you ask players to come after playing one or two matches, so that we get to know (about their fitness), but if domestic cricket is not happening, will he not play cricket for six months? It doesn’t make sense,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
