India pacer Harshit Rana says game time in the ongoing Delhi Premier League has served as ideal preparation for the Asia Cup, beginning on September 9.
Rana was briefly with the Indian Test team in the UK after the India A shadow tour. He had last played for India in the Champions Trophy in February.
“It is not at all that I am out of practice. In the last 20–25 days, I have played 12–13 T20 matches. So, my preparation (for India) has been on because of the DPL (Delhi Premier League). Before that, our team’s practice was going on."
“So that is a plus point for me — I am bowling well in the matches and overall my performance has been good,” Rana told PTI Videos.
Rana is also excited about reuniting with Jasprit Bumrah, who will be available for the entire Asia Cup after playing only three of the five Tests in England due to workload management.
“I can’t tell you what Jassi (Jasprit Bumrah) bhai brings to the table. Playing with him is really special; he makes things easy for us. If he’s around, the pressure on us is minimal."
“I try to stay calm. It’s always pretty exciting to wear the India jersey and play with the kind of quality bowling unit we have right now. I try to give my best every time, without thinking much about the outcome,” he said.
Rana is unlikely to start in the Asia Cup with Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and all-rounder Hardik Pandya being the preferred pace trio.
Rana has featured in just one T20I for India, debuting as a concussion substitute against England in January 2025, where he impressed with 3 for 33.
In the IPL, he played 13 matches this season, picking up 15 wickets at an average of 29.86 with an economy of over 10 — numbers that have sparked criticism of his Asia Cup inclusion.
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