Not Gautam Gambhir! This former India player improved Harshit Rana as a Bowler

Harshit Rana has made a few giant strides forward in his career. As a result, the bowler has received another India call-up for the ODI series in Sri Lanka.

The pacer was part of the Zimbabwe series for the first two matches but didn't get a chance. With three matches to play in the Island country, the 22-year-old may break the shackles.

But in his budding days as an aspirating bowler, a former India player played a huge part, and it is not Gautam Gambhir. Although the India head coach was a force behind Rana's growth as a bowler, it was a different Indian player who sharpened his skills with the ball.

Former India pacer Amit Bhandari was Harshit's coach at Delhi Players Academy and has been integral to his rise. Bhandari, who played in a few matches for India, was at the heart of moulding Harshit. The pacer himself thanked Bhandari and his assistant Narinder Singh Negi for their role in his resurgence.

"If you talk about skill-set, then Bhandai sir and Negi sir have been my personal coaches for past two years," Harshit Rana said to PTI after his India call-up.

The KKR pacer picked up 19 wickets for the Knight Riders in IPL 2024 and impressed all with his excellent variations. Harshit's pace, slower ball and other executions caught the eye as the player made a quick introduction to the Indian team.

"What I saw was a nice run-up but once he reached the crease, after load-up, everything needed a bit of work. The non-bowling hand, alignment and he was ready to work," Bhandari said to PTI.

Bhandari worked on Harshit and fine-tuned his action. The Delhi pacer will now be hoping to make a mark in international arena if he gets an opportunity.