New Delhi, June 20 (IANS) India pacer Harshit Rana said that he was relieved to be back in the national setup after spending five months on the sidelines with a knee injury, admitting the prolonged absence from cricket was the toughest phase of his career.

Having completed rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE), the 24-year-old has rejoined the Indian squad ahead of the third ODI against Afghanistan, reflecting on his recovery journey, the emotional challenges of missing the T20 World Cup triumph, and the support system that helped him return.

For Rana, the opportunity to wear India colours again carries extra significance after watching the team’s successful T20 World Cup campaign from the sidelines due to an injury sustained during a warm-up match.

“For me, especially, it was very difficult. Because as a kid, my dream was to play in the World Cup. And India had won, so I missed out on that. But I had five months. I mean, I’ve been away for five months. But I’ve worked a lot on everything,” Rana said in a BCCI video.

The rehabilitation period was spent largely at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, where Rana credits the facilities and support staff for playing a crucial role in his recovery. He believes the environment at the CoE gives injured players every possible resource to return stronger.

“I’ve spent a lot of time at CoE (Centre of Excellence). I feel like COE is a place where you have everything. If a player needs anything to improve, you have everything there. Good coaches, good trainers and top physios. It helped me immensely there because I spent three to three and a half months in COE,” he added.

While the physical recovery progressed steadily, Rana admitted the mental challenge of being away from competitive cricket proved even harder. Having never endured such a lengthy spell away from the game, he said returning to the dressing room has brought immense satisfaction.

“Mentally, I’m very happy because I wasn’t used to staying away from the cricket field for a long time. Because I never stayed away for five months. Mentally, I’m very happy because I was away from the cricket field for a very long time, something I’m not used to. I had never been away for 5 months. So it was a very difficult time for me to spend five months. But now it finally feels like I’m back,” Rana stated.

Now back among the Indian squad, Rana said the transition from rehabilitation to international cricket has reminded him why representing the country is unlike any other experience. He described the intensity of India’s training sessions as something unmatched, adding that simply being part of the group again has been enjoyable.

“I feel that the intensity that you get during Indian cricket practice is unmatched. No matter how much you train, the intensity and atmosphere here is very different. So it’s a lot of fun being a part of it,” Rana said.

With his rehabilitation complete and international cricket back within reach, Rana’s immediate focus now shifts from recovery to making the most of his second chance in India’s colours.

–IANS

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