IND vs BAN 3rd T20I: Has Gautam Gambhir Done a Favour to KKR by Not Picking Harshit Rana?

Harshit Rana was expected to make his much-awaited Team India debut in the third and final T20I against Bangladesh at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. But the pacer was not picked in the India playing 11.

The Men in Blue made one change to their playing 11 with a spinner coming in for a pacer as Arshdeep Singh made way for Ravi Bishnoi. Many would have been puzzled by the choice as there were already two specialist spinners in the side.

Varun Chakravarthy and Washington Sundar were already part of the line up. Plus, there is also the option of Riyan Parag, who can roll his arm over if required. The omission of Rana could lead to specuation that the head coach Gautam Gambhir may have done a favour to his former IPL team.

With the IPL 2025 retention deadline fast-approaching, Kolkata Knight Riders have surely received a boost as Harshit Rana did not feature in the Hyderabad T20I. Rana could now be retained by KKR as an uncapped player if all parties agree.

Notably, Gambhir served as a mentor for KKR on-route to their third IPL title triumph earlier this year in IPL 2024 before he took over the head coach role of Team India in July, replacing Rahul Dravid, who guided India to the T20 World Cup title.

However, the young pacer's absence has no connection to his IPL retention as Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released an update on why Rana did not feature in the match.

Why Harshit Rana did not play in IND vs BAN 3rd T20I?

The BCCI on Saturday (October 12) released a statement on Harshit's availability, saying that the pacer was ill and didn't travel with the team from Delhi to Hyderabad.

"Mr. Harshit Rana was unavailable for selection for the third T20I due to a viral infection and did not travel with the team to the stadium," the BCCI posted on X shortly after the toss.

The 22-year-old pacer from Delhi has been part of the Indian team in the recent two T20I series, but did not make his debut for the national side. So, he is still available as an uncapped player for KKR.

Harshit Rana has also been included as a travelling reserve in the India squad for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand, which starts on October 16. With the deadline of IPL 2025 retention set for October 31, KKR may still need to wait to see if the youngster will remain uncapped.