Shubman Gill Hails Harshit Rana as ‘Great Prospect’ Despite India’s Series Loss to New Zealand

India captain Shubman Gill praised young pacer Harshit Rana as a “great” prospect following India’s 1-2 home series defeat to New Zealand, their first against the Kiwis at home in 37 years. Gill highlighted Rana’s rare ability to bowl consistently at 140 kph with height and his rapidly improving batting, calling him a valuable fast-bowling all-round option India urgently needs. The 24-year-old Rana emerged as a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing series, finishing with six wickets and 83 runs. Batting at No. 8, he impressed with fearless power-hitting, including a maiden ODI half-century (52 off 43 balls) in Indore, where he shared a crucial 99-run partnership with Virat Kohli during a tense chase. Gill noted that modern teams bat deep and stressed the importance of Rana’s role as a lower-order all-rounder, especially with Hardik Pandya’s recurring injury concerns. Rana’s development has been closely guided by head coach Gautam Gambhir, who has worked with him since his early days at Kolkata Knight Riders. Despite Rana’s heroics and Kohli’s brilliant 124, India fell short of New Zealand’s 338-run target, marking their first-ever ODI loss in Indore