Champions Trophy 2025: Harshit Rana Opens up on Learnings From Jasprit Bumrah After Frutiful ICC Event Bow

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah may be missing from India's squad in the Champions Trophy 2025, but youngster Harshit Rana has revealed the learnings he picked up from his senior teammate following a fruitful ICC event bow on Thursday (February 20).

With stakes running high in the Champions Trophy, India management decided to put their faith in Harshit ahead of left-armer Arshdeep Singh, who holds a fair share of experience in delivering at ICC events.

Harshit lined up alongside seasoned Mohammed Shami, with Hardik Pandya acting as the third seamer against Bangladesh in Dubai. With the new ball in his hand, Harshit and Shami bowled in tandem and orchestrated Bangladesh's downfall in the powerplay.

Rana started off his spell in the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy clash by removing Bangladeshi captain Najmul Hossain Shanto for a two-ball duck. He made his impact felt towards the end and returned with economical match figures of 3/31 in his 7.4-over spell.

Rana, who has swiftly made his mark with international debuts across all three formats within a short span, credited seasoned speedster Bumrah for shaping his consistency and adaptability at the highest level.

"I get a lot of benefit from working with Jassi bhai. He has a lot of experience. He always guided me on how to bowl in which format," Rana told reporters after India's six-wicket win over Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy on Thursday (February 20).

"We used to talk about Test matches in Australia and also about different formats. I got a lot of benefit from that... We often discussed Test matches in Australia and also about various other formats. One thing I have picked up from him is consistency."

The 23-year-old earned his Test cap during the prestigious Border-Gavaskar series in December before making his T20I and ODI debuts in the recently-concluded white-ball series against England. It was during India's tour of Australia, Rana had the opportunity to share the dressing room with one of the modern greats - Bumrah.

Rana also acknowledged India's bowling coach Morne Morkel for refining his skills, particularly his line and length. "I have learned a great deal from him. He has worked extensively on improving my line and length," he added.

Picked ahead of the more experienced left-arm pacer Arshdeep for India's Champions Trophy opener, Rana shared the new-ball duties with veteran Mohammed Shami against Bangladesh.

"Yes of course there is backing from the coach and captain, that is why I am playing." Reflecting on his journey, the Delhi speedster expressed gratitude for his hard-earned opportunity. "I have trained very hard. I did not get the opportunity initially but waited for my chance. I always gave my 100 per cent in practice, and always thought to deliver whenever given a chance."

With a confidence-boosting three-wicket haul against Bangladesh, Rana is eager to carry his momentum into India's highly anticipated clash against Pakistan on Sunday (February 23).

"I will take today's momentum forward. Of course, there's always a lot of hype around an India-Pakistan game, but we are treating it like any other match," he said.