Rana, who had a breakthrough season, played a pivotal role in KKR’s third title victory, taking 19 wickets in 13 matches.
However, Rana’s season was not without controversy. He was handed a one-match ban for a Level 1 offence under Article 2.5 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct during a match against Delhi Capitals at Eden Gardens.
The young pacer made an animated gesture towards DC’s Abhishek Porel after taking his wicket, marking his second penalty of the season. Earlier, Rana had been fined 60% of his match fees for giving a flying-kiss send-off to Sunrisers Hyderabad’s batter Mayank Agarwal.
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SRK with KKR players (Video grab)
Reflecting on his emotions after the ban, the 22-year-old disclosed a special interaction with Shah Rukh Khan. Feeling dejected, Rana received a pep talk from the Bollywood superstar, who made a heartfelt promise to lift his spirits.
“Oh Yes! After I got banned for one match, I was very sad and then Shah Rukh sir came to me and said ‘Tu tension mat le ye waali celebration Trophy ke saath karenge’ (Don’t worry, we will celebrate this with the trophy). He promised me and made sure that we did that with the trophy and our team,” Harshit told the Indian Express.
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True to his word, Shah Rukh Khan led the entire KKR team in a flying kiss celebration after they clinched the IPL trophy. This gesture not only fulfilled a promise but also united the team in a moment of shared joy and camaraderie.
Rana’s performance in the final against Sunrisers Hyderabad was outstanding. He claimed two wickets for just 24 runs in his four overs, including a rare maiden over in the summit clash. His contributions were crucial in securing KKR’s victory.
After the final, KKR’s left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc lauded the young pacer’s efforts, highlighting his growth and confidence throughout the season.
“Harshit is learning what his skills are capable of throughout this IPL. He seems pretty confident in his abilities. He started his season with the second-best team in this season (SRH). The right-arm seamer has bowled some tough overs and also crucial last overs and has taken a good amount of wickets this season as well,” Starc said.
