Ahead of the 2nd ODI vs South Africa, Harshit Rana opened up about the social media trolling he faces over his selection, and the Indian fast bowler couldn’t care less about trolls. Forget being affected, he doesn’t even bother listening to the outside noise.
When asked whether social media trolling impacts him, he said, "Dekho sir agar mai ye sab cheeze sun kar apne dimag par zor daal kar ground mein utrunga to mujhe nahi lagta ki mai cricket khel paunga. To mai jitna ho sakta hai avoid karne ki koshish karta hun, mai sirf dhyaan deta hun ki mujhe ground mein kya karna hai, Mujhe in sab cheezon se koi farak nahi padta ki bahar kya baatein ho rahi hain, ya mere bare mein koi kya bol raha hai. Mujhe jo ground par karna hai mujhe sirf apni mehnat par focus hai aur mai ground mein kya karna vala hun bas."
(Look sir, if I go onto the field thinking about what people are saying and putting pressure on myself, I don’t think I’ll be able to play cricket. So, I try to avoid all that as much as possible and just focus on what I need to do on the field. I don’t care about what people outside are saying or what anyone says about me. All I focus on is the hard work I need to put in and what I have to do on the ground, nothing else.)
Harshit also credited senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for keeping the team environment positive. "Mere liye to bohut badi baat hai aur team ke liye hi bohut badi baat hai kyuki jab itne experienced khiladi agar aapke sath feild pe aur dressing room mein rehte hain to team ka environment hi bohoot achha rehta hai," he stated.
(“For me it’s a huge thing, for the whole team actually, because when such experienced players are with you on the field and in the dressing room, the environment becomes really good.”)
And here’s the truth - Harshit hasn’t just survived the noise. He has grown stronger because of it. His 2 wickets in his very-first over the 1st ODI vs South Africa broke their back. He then came back to dismiss a dangerous Dewald Brevis and ended the game with 3 wickets.
Look closely at the numbers overall numbers. In just 9 ODIs, he already has 19 wickets, and he’s doing it at a superb economy rate of 5.9. These aren’t the stats of someone pushed into the system. These are the numbers of someone who belongs.
So if you’re one of those people who tries to troll Harshit for no reason, don’t waste your time, because it simply doesn’t bother him.
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