Harshit Rana reveals 'best quality' of captain Shubman Gill: 'I personally like that...'

Harshit Rana made valuable contributions with both bat and ball in India's four-wicket victory in the opening ODI of the three-match series against New Zealand on Sunday at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara. After the match, the pacer praised the decision making of captain Shubman Gill describing him as a “free and aggressive” leader.

Rana accounted for the wickets of the well-set Kiwi opening duo of Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls, providing India much needed breakthrough after a 117-run partnership between the two. He then also pulled India out of a tricky situation late in the game by hitting 29 runs from 23 balls to take the team closer to the 301-run target.

Harshit Rana praises captain Shubman Gill

Rana was promoted to number seven in the batting order by the team management due to an injury to all-rounder Washington Sundar and the bowler delivered with bat when needed. Even in a tricky situation, Rana went for his shots, launching a six and a couple of fours to ease out the pressure on India. He said that Gill gives a lot of freedom to his players.

“For me, he is a free and aggressive captain. If he has to take a decision, he thinks beforehand that he has to do that thing and then he doesn’t stress about it,” Rana said at the post-match press conference.

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“I personally like that thing, to be a free captain is to give freedom to players to do what they want to do on the field. That is one of the best qualities I like about him,” he added.

Team India grooming Rana as an all-rounder

Rana also revealed that the team management is looking at him as an all-rounder who can make contributions as a lower order batter apart from being a front-line pacer.

“My team wants me to bat at No 8 as an all-rounder and whatever time I can give to it in the nets, I focus on that. I believe I can score 30-40 runs for the team lower down the order whenever needed and that’s what the team management believes that I can do as well,” Rana said.

India chased down the target of 301 in 49 overs with Virat Kohli getting the Player of the Match award for his 91-ball 93.