‘He is spoken about negatively many times’ – Aakash Chopra calls out ‘keyboard warriors’ after Harshit Rana show in Vadodara ODI

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has slammed online trolls directed towards Harshit Rana after the cricketer put in an all-round performance in the first ODI of the series against New Zealand on January 11. Harshit contributed with a couple of wickets and scored 29 runs in India’s four-wicket win.

Chopra also urged netizens and Indian cricket fans to praise the 24-year-old publicly after his recent impressive showing as after they targeted him over his failures in the past.

“Harshit Rana should be talked about because he is spoken about negatively many times. It’s said that he has come through a recommendation. It pains me if you say that any Indian player has been selected for India through recommendation. However, it’s social media. They are keyboard warriors. No one can stop or call them out. He has been trolled a lot. You trolled him, but he did so well that he made himself a role model. We should respect and celebrate that he is doing a good job,” shared Chopra in a video on his YouTube channel. 

Chopra noted that Harshit’s batting contribution was a match-defining one. The former Delhi player also noted that Harshit could serve as the ideal candidate for India in the 2027 World Cup as a seam-bowling all-rounder.

“In batting, he was sent up the order because Sundar was injured. 29 incredibly important runs. He also picked up two wickets and bowled in different phases. He bowled with the new and old ball, and in the middle overs. I think Harshit is pulling his weight in the side. He bats decently. Of course, he has been selected with promise because very few bowlers bowl at 140 kph and give batting at No. 8. You have a contender for the World Cup, where if you need a pacer and not a spinner at No. 8, you can always have Harshit there,” he added.

Harshit dismissed both the opening batters after duo of Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls had stitched a 117-run stand. He ended up conceding 65 runs in his 10-over quota. With the bat, Harshit’s 29 off 23 came at a crucial juncture in the chase. His innings comprised two fours and one six.