Ex-India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin did not hold back words in criticizing pacer Harshit Rana following India's close Super 4s match against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2025 at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday.
Harshit, playing just his second match of the eight-team tournament, struggled to contain the conditions, giving away 54 runs in his four-over stint and taking one wicket. His initial overs leaked freely, though he managed to find some composure in the last over, enabling India to force a Super Over.
Arshdeep Singh then bowled a near-flawless Super Over, permitting only two runs, and captain Suryakumar Yadav easily chased the three-run requirement off the first delivery.
Harshit's first over cost 12 runs, and the subsequent two overs leaked another 32 as Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka took advantage of inconsistent bowling. Delhi pacer struggled to adapt to the flat Dubai pitch, and this was something that Ashwin emphasized in his post-match comments.
Talking on his YouTube show 'Ash Ki Baat', Ashwin was blunt in his assessment, terming Harshit's performance as "amateurish." He stated, "I want to talk about Harshit Rana. Playing only a couple of games and sitting out some others can really play with confidence and rhythm. But the errors against Sri Lanka were actually amateurish."
Ashwin pointed out how Harshit's bowling turned into a predictable trend, rotating regularly between slow and quick deliveries, which Nissanka took advantage of. "One fast, one slow, one fast, one slow. That's really amateurish cricket. He should learn from this," Ashwin further stated.
Rana did make an important contribution towards the end by getting rid of Nissanka, who had compiled a scorching 107 off 58 balls, and contributed towards taking the match into a Super Over.
Rana had taken the place of Shivam Dube in the playing eleven for this game and now has two wickets under his belt from his two Asia Cup games. He won't play in the final, though, with Dube set to come back as India tries to have its best team out against Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium.
