It was a dream come true for Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana who received their maiden test cap from Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin at Perth. Rana, who impressed with his performances for the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024, earned a spot in the Indian team and will be part of India’s playing XI in the series opener.

Who Is Harshit Rana?

Rana has experience in 10 first-class matches, where he has taken 43 wickets. In addition to his bowling, the right-arm pacer has contributed 469 runs, including one century and two fifties.

Rana was the joint fourth-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2024 and played a key role in KKR's title win. In first-class cricket, Rana has 43 wickets at an average of 24.00 and 469 runs at an average of 42.63. Notably, he scored an unbeaten 122 off just 86 balls, including nine sixes, though this remarkable knock came against a weaker North-East Zone side.

Who Is Nitish Kumar Reddy? 

Nitish Kumar Reddy burst onto the scene with a stellar 2024 IPL season, earning the Emerging Player of the Year award after scoring 303 runs for Sunrisers Hyderabad at an impressive strike rate of 142.92 . His performances garnered national attention and led to his T20I debut against Bangladesh, where he impressed with bat and ball.

Reddy has played 23 first-class appearances, where he has claimed 56 wickets while also scoring 1237 runs at an average of 176 a record that underscores his potential. Known for his aggressive batting, he thrives under pressure, making him a valuable player in crucial moments.