Harshit Rana has emerged as one of India’s promising young all-rounders, and veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane recently revealed the mental strength behind his performances. During the IPL 2025 season, Rana faced heavy criticism and social media trolling, which affected his confidence at times. To cope, he adopted unique strategies, such as wearing AirPods during practice sessions to block out distractions and remain fully focused on his bowling.
Rahane noted that Rana’s dedication and mindset allowed him to channel the negativity into motivation, rather than letting it affect his game. Since joining the Indian setup in 2024, he has consistently handled scrutiny with maturity, letting his performances speak for themselves. His contributions in the first ODI against New Zealand—taking two crucial wickets and scoring 29 runs off 23 balls—highlighted his ability to perform under pressure, providing balance to the team and easing the burden on senior players like KL Rahul.
Rana’s journey underscores the importance of mental resilience in modern cricket, showing how young players can overcome public criticism while delivering match-winning performances on the international stage.