Rana shuts outside noise to deliver

raipur: He has been caught in the firing line for being allegedly favoured by India head coach Gautam Gambhir but pacer Harshit Rana says he does not pay heed to any outside noise, as doing so will not allow him to play cricket freely.

During Gambhir’s tenure, the 23-year-old fast bowler has made his India debut across formats starting with the Perth Test during last year’s Australia tour.

While he has not made a huge dent across formats with his performances, Rana has received strong backing from the India head coach.

“If I start listening to all these things, put them in my mind and take the field, I won’t be able to play cricket,” said Rana when asked how he deals with criticism including from fans on social media. “I try to avoid as much

as possible.”