Aakash Chopra, the former Indian cricketer, has expressed his views on Harshit Rana‘s recent rise, suggesting that Harshit might not be a better bowler than Mohammed Siraj, but recent developments have worked in his favour. He pointed out that if Harshit was a more accomplished bowler, he would have consistently been included in India’s playing XI across all formats.

Siraj, despite having represented India in 101 matches across all formats, has not been selected for the 2025 Asia Cup squad, which will be held in the UAE starting 9th September. Harshit is one of the three pace specialists, joining Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh in the lineup.

In a video posted on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra’, the former opener was asked whether Siraj’s future would now be limited to Test cricket and if Harshit is a better bowler, given his selection in all three formats.

“No, Siraj will definitely play ODIs. I believe he will continue in ODI cricket. He needs to wait a bit for T20Is. Harshit Rana can’t really be considered a superior bowler. If he was, he would have featured in the playing XI across all three formats. The guy is still on the sidelines,” Chopra replied.

“I wouldn’t claim that Harshit is a better bowler than Siraj. Right now, it just seems that things work in his favour just a little from time to time, but Siraj is the better bowler. If you compare them directly, it’s clear that Siraj is superior,” he continued.

Although Siraj hasn’t played an international white-ball match in more than a year, Harshit Rana, with just eight international games under his belt, played in the Champions Trophy. He has been included in the Asia Cup ahead of Siraj.