Shah Rukh Khan declared he will give a “flying kiss” to celebrate winning the IPL: Rana Harshit

EXCERPTS:

What was more special, winning the IPL or celebrating it with Shah Rukh Khan?

Harshit Rana: Both (laughs).

Was that flying kiss celebration with Shah Rukh pre-planned?

Harshit Rana: 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 (We will celebrate the IPL with a flying kiss). He promised me and made sure that we did that with the trophy and our team.

Will the ban curb your aggression in the future?

Harshit Rana: Sawaal hi nahi hota (Not a chance). Next time I will make sure that I will not use it as a send-off.

This is my cricket. I have always played my cricket like this. Mai off the field bahut fun hun aap kisi se puch lo but ab cricket field dosti karne thodi na aaye hai (I am a fun-loving guy off the field but on the cricket pitch, I am not there to make friends, I want to win). Abhishek Porel smacked me for 16 runs in my first over. Ab chakke lagenge to ego hurt hoga na, smile toh nahi karunga na (If someone hits you for sixes you can’t laugh). In the next over, I took his wicket, the celebration was my redemption but I got banned.

Do you think cricketers from Delhi are ultra-aggressive?

Harshit Rana: This tag has been given to us. Hum Delhi wale hai, emotional hai, aur dil se khelte hai (We are from Delhi we play cricket with our heart). This Delhi’s aggression has made Virat Kohli the Virat Kohli he is. Ishant Sharma played 100 Test matches, and Rishabh Pant did that miracle at Gabba. Gautam Gambhir won two World Cup finals for India.

You’ve looked very lean in this year’s IPL. How many kilos you have shed?

Harshit Rana: From the Mushtaq Ali Trophy that I played last year (2023-24) season in November to the start of the IPL in March, I have lost 17 kgs.

What instigated this fitness revolution?

Harshit Rana: It hit me first when I played in the IPL last year. Following the IPL, I played Duleep Trophy, I was picked for India A but then I got injured. I realised I was doing well, and people were talking about me, I was even performing well but I am frequently getting injured. I realised that I wanted to play for India, and fulfil my father’s dream, I needed to stay fit. I can’t let injuries hamper my dream.

You have always been a hit-the-deck kind of bowler but in this year’s IPL, you were hitting the good length more often and you’re bowling the off-cutters brilliantly. Where did you learn it?

Harshit Rana: Khud se (Self-taught). I worked on my bowling at the NCA when I was there after I sustained a hamstring injury at the start of the Ranji Trophy camp. This is something that I had in the back of my mind that I needed to add more variations in my bowling and during rehab I started working on it.