Indian fast bowler Harshit Rana’s overconfidence turned into an embarrassing moment during the opening match of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand in Vadodara as he hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons on Sunday (January 11).
Harshit Rana’s overconfidence backfires spectacularly in the first IND vs NZ ODI
Indian fast bowler Harshit Rana learned a harsh lesson of instant karma during the first IND vs NZ ODI at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, as his over-cleverness was brutally punished within a matter of seconds by Will Young and Devon Conway.
This embarrassing moment perfectly illustrated the fine line between confident aggression and costly overconfidence. This incident happened on the very first ball of the 24th over. Rana bowled a fast ball at around 141.9 kmph, which was just short of a good length.
Also read: Sanjay Manjrekar’s shocking claim, Harshit Rana, not Jasprit Bumrah, makes India invincible in bowling.
Conway played the ball straight towards the bowler and it looked like an easy opportunity to stop the run. Instead of playing a safe and straight throw at the non-striker’s end, Rana tried to hit a tempting no-look flick. This move completely backfired.
The Indian fast bowler’s throw went wide of the stumps, missing the target by a wide margin. Taking full advantage of the mistake in the ongoing first ODI in Vadodara, New Zealand’s batsmen crossed comfortably and took singles with ease.
– Drizzyat12Kennyat8 (@45kennyat7PM) 11 January 2026
Harshit Rana silenced the doubters by giving a double blow.
However, after his unnecessary effort turned a simple situation into a talking point, Rana once again proved why he gets the support of Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir. The young fast bowler made good use of his variations to ensure success for the hosts.
While bowling from around the wicket, Rana pitched the ball slightly outside the off stump. The delivery went a little behind, and Conway looked hard for a big drive. The shot proved costly, as Conway found the inside edge and the ball hit the stumps.
Conway was out after scoring 56 runs in 67 balls and after 24 overs New Zealand’s score was 126 runs for 2 wickets. Earlier, Rana tried something different and it worked perfectly. The Delhi batsman was under pressure in the 22nd over as Henry Nicholls hit him for two fours.
Also read: Hindi vs Tamil! Sanjay Bangar, Varun Aaron have ugly altercation over on-air language during India vs New Zealand 1st ODI
After this, Rana surprised everyone with his slow ball, bowling wide and full like a yorker. Nicholls went for another big shot but could only get a slim lead. And wicketkeeper KL Rahul took a low catch behind the stumps as Nicholls was out for 62 off 69 balls in Vadodara.
WV Raman sounds injury alarm for Harshit Rana
Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer and former women’s coach WV Raman has expressed concern about Harshit Rana. Raman feels that if the young fast bowler does not improve the alignment of his delivery stride as soon as possible, he may be at risk of a lower back injury.
Raman wrote on Twitter: “#Harshit needs to improve the alignment on his delivery stride soon. Otherwise, he will be at risk of a lower back injury. I will be happy if I am proven wrong.”
#Joyful He needs to refine the alignment on his delivery stride soon. Otherwise, they will be at risk of lower back injury. I would be happy if I am proven wrong.#injury prevention#indvnz
– WV Raman (@wvraman) 11 January 2026
