Kolkata Knight Riders’ Promising Pace Sensation Harshit Rana Shines in IPL 2022
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has a rich history of unearthing promising cricketing talents, and Harshit Rana was one such discovery this year. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer, who was bought for ₹20 lakh as a replacement for Rasikh Dar during IPL 2022, made a remarkable impact on the team’s winning campaign. Rana finished the tournament as the fifth-highest wicket-taker, picking up 19 wickets.
However, Rana’s memorable IPL journey was not solely defined by his impressive wickets tally. The young pacer found himself in the spotlight for his unexpected “flying-kiss” celebration against Sunrisers Hyderabad, which landed him in trouble with the authorities. During KKR’s match against SRH, Rana dismissed Mayank Agarwal and responded with the celebratory gesture, which resulted in a 60% match fee fine and a request to refrain from repeating it.
“I didn’t deliberately do it – the flying kiss. When I took the wicket of Mayank bhaiya… actually when he hit the ball in the air, I got close to him during my follow-through. It happened instinctively and it came out,” he explained.
The young cricketer’s unique celebration soon became a talking point, with fans and fellow players taking notice. Rana even discussed the matter with former Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma, who advised him, “If you’re enjoying it, keep doing it. No problem there.”
While the BCCI dished out a one-match ban for Rana’s second offence of breaching the Code of Conduct, the pacer remained undeterred. He was even challenged by fans to repeat the celebration against the mighty Royal Challengers Bangalore, but Rana respectfully declined, stating, “I have respect for every player, but no, I wouldn’t do it in front of him [Virat Kohli].”
Harshit Rana’s captivating performances and his now-iconic flying-kiss celebration have cemented his place as one of the breakout stars of IPL 2022, capturing the imaginations of Cricket enthusiasts across the country. As he continues his journey in the sport, Rana’s name is sure to be etched in the annals of 100-ball cricket, backyard cricket, beach cricket, and club cricket.
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