India Tour of England: Harshit Rana Likely to Join Test Squad, Asked to Stay Back – Report

Delhi fast bowler Harshit Rana, who was part of the recent India A tour of England, has reportedly been asked to stay back — likely joining the senior Indian squad for the upcoming five-Test series. The warm-up game in Kent, seen as a key prep match for the Test team led by Shubman Gill, also turned into a golden opportunity for India A players to make a strong case. For someone like Rana, it may have been just the platform needed to push for a late but well-deserved call-up.

According to a report by RevSportz, fast bowler Harshit Rana, who was part of the India A squad, will be staying back in England and won’t be returning to India with the rest of the team on June 17. This further strengthens the speculation that he might be drafted into the senior Indian squad for the upcoming five-Test series against England.

The RevSportz report noted that Harshit Rana’s case stands out, even though several Indian players have been approached by County teams in England. While it’s not confirmed whether Rana will officially join the senior Indian Test squad, his extended stay has certainly raised eyebrows. Rana featured in just one India A match, where he scored 16 runs and picked up 1 wicket for 99 runs. Since the intra-squad game wasn’t open to fans or media, there’s little known about his showing in that match leaving room for speculation about what caught the selectors’ eye.

BREAKING: Harshit Rana is staying with the senior Indian team rest will head back.@rohitjuglan reports from England.@ThumsUpOfficial #IndiaTourofEngland #EnglandvsIndia #HarshitRana pic.twitter.com/DlMwEDVlsY

— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) June 15, 2025

After a great season with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2024 IPL, when Gautam Gambhir now the head coach of India was the team's mentor, Delhi fast bowler Rana got a chance to play for the Indian team. He earned a national call-up after impressing Gambhir, a former India cricketer, and made his debut on the tour of Australia in Perth. He played in two Test matches during the series and took four wickets. However, Rana was not picked for the England series, as the BCCI selectors chose Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep to join Jasprit Bumrah in the fast-bowling group.

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