India’s young opener Abhishek Sharma has come out in support of Harshit Rana’s surprising batting promotion during the tense second T20I against Australia. Rana was strategically positioned higher in the batting order following India’s top-order struggles at the MCG, a decision that Sharma believes was a tactical success. Rana joined Sharma at the crease in the eighth over and together they stabilized the innings, contributing a vital 56-run stand for the sixth wicket. Rana’s quickfire 35 runs played a significant role in steering India towards a respectable total.
Sharma revealed the rationale behind the move, citing Rana’s formidable hitting ability witnessed during practice. “I knew Harshit could bat — he hits sixes off me a lot in the nets,” Sharma explained. “He told me, ‘let’s play a little normal’, and that helped. The right-left combination worked well, and that’s why he went up the order ahead of Shivam Dube.” While Rana, who was chosen for his batting skills, did not take any wickets, his performance with the bat added valuable depth.