Harshit Rana makes T20I debut as concussion substitute against England in Pune

Indian pacer Harshit Rana made his T20I debut against England in the fourth match of the series in Pune, stepping in as a concussion substitute for Shivam Dube. Dube suffered a blow to the head in the final over of India’s innings, prompting the team to bring in Rana under the concussion substitute rule.

The Kolkata Knight Riders fast bowler made an immediate impact, dismissing England’s hard-hitting Liam Livingstone with just his second delivery. Rana’s debut as a concussion substitute places him in a rare group of cricketers who have made their international debut in this unusual manner.

In the past, players such as Brian Mudzinganyama (Test, Zimbabwe, 2020), Neil Rock (ODI, Ireland, 2022), and Matt Parkinson (Test, England, 2022) have also earned their first caps as concussion replacements. More recently, Kamran Ghulam (ODI, Pakistan, 2023) and Bahir Shah (Test, Afghanistan, 2023) have joined the list, with Rana becoming the latest entrant in 2025.

Earlier, Dube’s aggressive batting guided India to a competitive total of 181 for 9 after the top order struggled to cope with the short-pitched deliveries from England’s pacers in the fourth T20 International on Friday.

Coming in at No. 7, Hardik Pandya was both stylish and destructive, smashing four boundaries and an equal number of sixes in his 30-ball 53. Dube, who contributed a solid 53 off 34 balls, joined forces with Pandya for an 87-run partnership off 48 balls for the sixth wicket. This came after pacer Saqib Mahmood (3/35 in 4 overs) reduced India to a precarious 12 for 3 by the end of the second over.

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Dube was returning to national duty after a tough outing in the Ranji Trophy, where he had bagged a pair against Jammu and Kashmir the previous week. Pandya, often seen as a potential successor to MS Dhoni’s finisher role, began aggressively before rotating the strike for a few overs. He then unleashed a brutal assault on the English bowlers, though his innings was cut short by a shot that proved too ambitious.

Dube, with seven fours and two sixes, provided excellent support, and India scored 109 runs in the final 10 overs. Mahmood, playing his first match of the series, struck thrice in his opening over, with all three dismissals being well-executed.

As expected, Sanju Samson (1) once again struggled against the quick bowling, particularly short-pitched deliveries. Mahmood bowled one just back of length, and Samson’s pull shot went straight to Brydon Carse at deep fine leg.