In a historic moment for Indian cricket, pacer Harshit Rana became the first player to make his T20I debut mid-match as a concussion substitute in a full-member game. This happened during the fourth T20I against England when all-rounder Shivam Dube had to leave the field after being struck on the head by a Jamie Overton delivery.
While Rana’s inclusion played a key role in India’s 15-run victory—taking three wickets for 33 runs—it also ignited a heated debate. Many questioned whether the substitution was truly “like-for-like,” as per the concussion replacement rule. Former England captain Michael Vaughan was one of the loudest critics, arguing that replacing a batting all-rounder with a specialist bowler seemed unfair.
“You can’t convince me that Harshit Rana is a like-for-like replacement for Shivam Dube,” Vaughan said on Cricbuzz. “He played a game-changing role, but was he the right choice?”
Former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan also weighed in, suggesting that someone like Ramandeep Singh, who is more of a batting all-rounder, might have been a better replacement. He pointed out that the match referee should have ensured a more balanced substitution.
Despite the controversy, India delivered a commanding performance. Hardik Pandya (53) and Dube (53) rescued the team from a shaky start, helping them post 181/9. England, in response, struggled against India’s bowlers, with Rana and Ravi Bishnoi (3/56) sealing the win.
With this victory, India extended their unbeaten T20I series record at home to 17 since 2019, clinching a 3-1 series win over England. However, the debate over Rana’s substitution has raised fresh concerns about the fairness and clarity of concussion replacement rules in cricket.