Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin did not hold back in his critique of pacer Harshit Rana following India’s tense Super 4s clash against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2025 at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday. Harshit, featuring in only his second match of the eight-team tournament, struggled with the conditions and conceded 54 runs across his four-over spell, picking up just one wicket. His early overs leaked heavily, but he managed to pull back some control in the final over, ensuring the match extended to a Super Over.Arshdeep Singh then delivered a flawless Super Over, conceding only two runs, and captain Suryakumar Yadav comfortably chased the three-run target off the first ball. Harshit’s first over went for 12 runs, and the next two overs added 32 more as Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka took full advantage of wayward bowling. The Delhi pacer struggled to adapt to the flat Dubai track, which Ashwin highlighted in his post-match analysis.
Speaking on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’, Ashwin was blunt in his assessment, calling Harshit’s approach “amateurish.” He explained, “I want to speak about Harshit Rana. Playing just a few matches, then sitting out others, can really affect confidence and rhythm. But the mistakes against Sri Lanka were really amateurish.” Ashwin pointed out that Harshit’s bowling became predictable, alternating slower balls with faster deliveries in a routine that Nissanka capitalised on. “One fast, one slow, one fast, one slow. That’s really amateurish cricket. He should learn from this,” Ashwin added. Harshit did manage to redeem himself in the final over by dismissing Nissanka, who had scored a blazing 107 off 58 balls, before India forced the Super Over. Rana had replaced Shivam Dube in the playing XI for this match and now has two wickets from his two Asia Cup appearances. He is unlikely to feature in the final, with Dube expected to return, as India aims to field its strongest side against Pakistan in the Dubai International Stadium final.
