‘I would cry every day in front of my dad’ - Harshit Rana speaks out on his struggles

Indian pacer Harshit Rana recently made an honest confession about handling failures. He is currently featuring in the home series against New Zealand, which includes three ODIs and five T20Is.

Rana revealed that he faced rejection for nearly ten years during his early days in cricket. He attended several trials but failed to get selected anywhere. Often returning home in tears, he admitted that he considered giving up on multiple occasions. However, it was his father’s constant encouragement and belief that motivated him to keep going and continue chasing his dream.

"I know how to handle failure now. I have seen those ten years where nothing happened. I would go to trials and my name would not come. I would come back and cry every day in front of my dad. So now I think that failure is gone; whatever comes, I can handle it. I had given up. But my dad kept pushing me literally," said Rana in a podcast on MensXP.

The right-arm pacer also named Indian veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as his favourite batters to bowl to. He revealed that both players challenged him in the nets, pushing him to perform at his best and helping him improve his skills.

"Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma. Even if I bowl easily to them, there is a competition when they come to bat in the nets, and they challenge me to do things, so I also get on my peak to bowl," said Rana.

Rana has also made his debut for India across all three formats. He has taken 34 wickets in 21 innings and scored 127 runs in 11 innings with the bat across formats. In the ongoing New Zealand series, he has picked up three wickets so far and has also contributed 31 runs with the bat.

In the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rana represents Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and has claimed 40 wickets in 32 innings. The third and final ODI between India and New Zealand is scheduled to be played on Sunday, January 18, at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. The series is currently level at 1-1.