The performance of Harshit Rana gave Delhi the leading position in the Vijay Hazare Trophy table.
Delhi captain Rishabh Pant had a poor first match, being dismissed for just 5 runs. Therefore, it was crucial for him to play a strong innings in the second match, and the star wicketkeeper-batsman did not disappoint.
In the first two matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025, two veterans of Team India garnered the most attention. While Virat Kohli displayed his batting prowess in both matches, playing big innings, Rohit Sharma, after performing brilliantly in the first match, disappointed in the second. Most eyes were on these two stalwarts anyway. But if there is one player who holds this tournament in high regard, it is Delhi captain Rishabh Pant. Pant, who was trying to retain his place in Team India, needed a strong performance, and the star wicketkeeper-batsman finally strengthened his claim with a crucial innings.
Rishabh Pant Half-Century
Rishabh Pant, captained by Delhi, recorded their fourth victory in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Delhi defeated Services by eight wickets to take first place in the points table. Pant scored an unbeaten half-century, while fast bowler Harshit Rana took four wickets.
Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant’s unbeaten 67 off 37 balls and Harshit Rana’s four-wicket haul helped Delhi beat Services by eight wickets. This victory propelled Delhi to the top of their group. In the match played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 2, Harshit wreaked havoc with the ball, followed by a brilliant innings by Pant to give the team a resounding victory. This is Delhi’s fourth win in five matches. Captain Rishabh Pant’s explosive innings included four fours and six sixes. Pant’s innings came just as the national selectors announced India’s squad for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting in Vadodara on January 11.
Delhi achieved the target of 178 runs in just 19.4 overs, thanks to aggressive half-centuries from openers Priyansh Arya (72 not out off 45 balls) and Pant (67 not out off 37 balls). With this victory, the Pant-led team significantly improved its net run rate (NRR), which had been badly affected after the crushing defeat to Odisha in Alur in the previous round.
Harshit Rana and India Set for New Zealand ODI Clash
Harshit Rana is included in the new Zealand India ODI squad that comes into play beginning January 11.
Harshit Rana is set to make an impact in the highly anticipated India vs New Zealand ODI series.
The ODI series against New Zealand will begin in Vadodara on January 11, after which the teams will travel to Rajkot for the second ODI on January 14. The series will conclude with the third ODI in Indore on January 18. India‘s squad for the subsequent T20I series (and the T20 World Cup starting on February 7) was announced in December 2025.
India’s ODI squad
Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain)*, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, and Yashasvi Jaiswal (*subject to fitness clearance).