Mumbai, June 18 (IANS) Fast-bowling all-rounder Harshit Rana has been included in India’s squad for the first Test against England to be played at Leeds from Friday (June 20). Rana was part of the Indian squad in England and has been asked to stay back to bolster the senior squad.

“The Men’s Selection Committee has added Harshit Rana to India’s squad for the first Test in Leeds against England. Rana, who was a part of the India A squad, has linked up with the team as India begins preparations for the first Test,” the BCCI informed in a release on Tuesday night.

The Five-match Test series kicks off at Headingley, Leeds, on June 20, 2025.

IANS had reported a few days back that Harshit Rana will stay back with the Indian Test team in England.

It was confirmed by sources to IANS that Rana, who was with the India ‘A’ team in England to play two four-day matches against the England Lions and an intra-squad game against the Test team in Beckenham, has been asked to stay back.

Rana made his Test debut on last year’s tour of Australia, where he managed to pick just four wickets at an average of 50.75, with his best figures being 3-48 in Perth. He was not selected for the upcoming five-match series against England as the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee picked Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, and Prasidh Krishna to be in the fast-bowling department alongside Jaspreet Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

Overall, the New Delhi-based Rana averages 27.79 with the ball in 13 first-class cricket games, having taken 48 wickets. He also averages 32.80 with the bat, including hitting a century and two fifties.

India’s updated squad for first Test: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana.

–IANS

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