‘Yash Dhull even threw the ball toward’- Harshit Rana opens up about heated clash with Bangladesh in 2023 Emerging Asia Cup

Indian fast bowler Harshit Rana has shared the backstory behind a viral video that captured a fiery moment between him and Bangladesh’s Soumya Sarkar. The clash took place in the second semi-final of the 2023 Emerging Asia Cup at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium.

The tense exchange happened shortly after Sarkar was dismissed, sparking a brief war of words between the two players. The video quickly spread on social media, drawing attention from fans across both nations. While it looked intense on camera, Rana has now provided clarity on what led to the situation.

He explained that emotions were high due to the importance of the match, and such moments are common in competitive cricket. Rana added that there was no personal grudge, and everything settled down quickly after the game. His comments aimed to put the incident into perspective and calm any lingering controversy.

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Harshit Recalled That Intense Moment Between Two Teams:

On August 6, during an appearance on Ranveer Allahbadia’s YouTube podcast, Harshit Rana opened up about the incident. He said that while celebrating Soumya’s dismissal, a remark from the Bangladesh player fueled the intense exchange. Rana clarified that his reaction was a response to Sarkar’s words, not an intentional provocation from his side.

Harshit said, “ When Sarkar got out, that's where things started. All of us were playing in the Under-23 Emerging Asia Cup. He is an international cricketer, and he was fully involved in what was happening. Honestly, if you watch that video carefully, I didn’t say a single thing to him. I was just celebrating the wicket. I was standing at square leg. When he got out, I was walking and shouting in celebration. He said something to me, and that’s when it all began.”

Harshit Rana said, after India’s win, Yash threw some balls toward the Bangladesh dressing room in frustration. Despite the tension, Dhull stood out for his performance, scoring 66 runs and earning the Player of the Match award.

He further said, “ That’s when the exchange started. After that, all of their batters got heavily sledged by us. We gave it back more than what they gave us. And then we won that match. Yash Dhull even threw the ball toward their dressing room after the match.”

While recalling the incident, he mentioned that it was the Bangladesh team who initiated the confrontation. According to him, they had been verbally targeting Indian players during India’s batting innings, which led to rising tension. Rana felt that the heated exchange was a reaction to the earlier behavior from the opposition, not something that started without reason.

He said, “ You won’t believe it, but when our match against Bangladesh started, the usual tension was there. It always happens when India plays Bangladesh. Kotak sir was our coach at the time. We were batting first and got bowled out for around 160 or so.”

He added, “ During our batting, the Bangladesh players were constantly abusing us. I was inside, batting, and the atmosphere was intense. They were targeting me and Yash Dhull with nonstop verbal abuse. After I got out and returned to the dugout, we were sitting together, talking about how much abuse was being thrown at us from the field. The whole situation was already getting heated.”

Harshit Talked About What Coach Told Them:

Harshit Rana mentioned that during the break between innings, coach Sitanshu Kotak encouraged the team to stay calm and maintain sportsmanship. However, the players chose to answer the opposition's aggression with their own intensity, deciding not to stay silent in the face of provocation on the field.

He concluded, “ Kotak sir was listening and reminded us that we are going to play peaceful cricket. There is no need to get into fights on the field, and the best way to respond was by winning. But all the young players, whether from Delhi or Punjab, like Abhishek bhai and Riyan, were fired up. Bangladesh had this one left-arm spinner who hurled a lot of abuse at us. You can say whatever you want, but when someone crosses the line, it hits differently. And they were the ones who started it. We were batting first.”

He added, “ Then during our bowling, in the very first over, I was hit for four boundaries, 16 runs. They reached around 70 to 80 runs without losing a wicket. But then we got one wicket and felt a bit pumped up. Then another wicket followed, and the energy kept building.”

India won the match by 51 runs, successfully defending their total of 212 runs with strong bowling and fielding. The bowlers delivered a strong performance, keeping the opposition in check and ensuring the team advanced with a convincing win in this crucial encounter.