India’s dramatic Super 4s victory over Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2025, culminating in a nail-biting Super Over at the Dubai International Stadium, was a moment of triumph for the Men in Blue. However, veteran India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin offered a surprisingly blunt assessment of one young player’s performance: pacer Harshit Rana.
Rana, who was playing only his second match of the tournament, visibly struggled with the conditions. He conceded a hefty 54 runs across his four overs, taking just a single wicket. While his early overs proved expensive, he did manage to provide a crucial breakthrough in the final over, dismissing Sri Lankan centurion Pathum Nissanka, which ultimately forced the game into a Super Over.
In the subsequent Super Over, Arshdeep Singh delivered a superb spell, restricting Sri Lanka to a mere two runs. This set a straightforward three-run target, which captain Suryakumar Yadav dispatched confidently on the very first ball, securing India’s win.
Ashwin’s criticism centered on Rana’s inability to adapt to the flat Dubai pitch. He noted that Rana’s initial overs were particularly costly, with Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka taking full advantage of the wayward bowling, including a 12-run first over and another 32 runs over two subsequent overs.
During his YouTube show, ‘Ash Ki Baat’, Ashwin was unequivocal in his judgment of Harshit’s strategy. “I want to speak about Harshit Rana,” Ashwin began. “Playing just a few matches, then sitting out others, can really affect confidence and rhythm. But the mistakes against Sri Lanka were really amateurish.”
He pinpointed the predictability of Rana’s bowling pattern as a major flaw. “One fast, one slow, one fast, one slow. That’s really amateurish cricket. He should learn from this,” Ashwin stressed, highlighting how Nissanka easily capitalized on this repetitive approach.
Despite the harsh words, it’s worth noting that Rana’s dismissal of Nissanka, who had scored a blistering 107 off 58 balls, was a significant moment that allowed India to stay in the contest and push for the Super Over.
Rana had been brought into the playing XI in place of Shivam Dube for this fixture. With two wickets from his two Asia Cup appearances, his future in the squad, particularly for the final, remains uncertain. It is widely expected that Dube will return, as India aims to field its absolute strongest side against arch-rivals Pakistan in the grand finale at the Dubai International Stadium.