Young India pacer Harshit Rana shared a hilarious story about his first meeting with Anushka Sharma, revealing that Virat Kohli immediately corrected him when he called her “Ma’am” and insisted he address her as “Bhabhi” instead . The 23-year-old right-arm seamer, who made his Test debut alongside Kohli during the veteran’s final series in Australia, also admitted he had misconceptions about both Kohli and Hardik Pandya before joining the Indian team .

Virat’s warm introduction to Anushka

In a recent conversation with Men’s XP, Rana recalled the moment he met Anushka for the first time and the amusing exchange that followed. “I was meeting Anushka for the first time. I called her ‘Ma’am’. Virat told me not to call her that and instead call her ‘Bhabhi’. I told him it was my first time meeting her. So he told her that I was throwing champagne on him outside, and now I’m calling her ‘Ma’am’. He is very funny,” Rana said .

The incident shows Kohli’s relaxed and welcoming nature off the field, making young players feel comfortable around him and his family. The use of “Bhabhi”—a term meaning elder brother’s wife in Hindi—reflects the family atmosphere that senior Indian cricketers try to create within the team environment.

Breaking stereotypes about Kohli and Pandya

Rana also spoke about how his perception of Kohli and Hardik Pandya changed completely after joining the Indian dressing room. “I had a perception about Virat and Hardik that they would be aggressive because I had only seen them on TV. I thought they would scare everyone. But when I met them in real life, they were very funny and completely different from what I had imagined,” he revealed .

This admission highlights how on-field intensity and aggression can often create misleading impressions about players’ personalities. Both Kohli and Pandya are known for their competitive spirit during matches, but Rana’s experience shows they are approachable and humorous teammates behind the scenes.

Making his debut during Kohli’s final Test tour

Rana made his Test debut against Australia in Perth in November 2024, a series that turned out to be Kohli’s final appearance in the longest format . Speaking about the significance of sharing the dressing room with Kohli during that historic tour, Rana said, “I wouldn’t say lucky, but it was a big thing since it was his last Test tour. I got the opportunity to be there. He is such a big player, and every kid starts playing cricket after watching him. I made my debut with him. I also have a picture with him after the match on my debut. I will always remember that moment” .

Since his debut, Rana has played two Tests, 13 ODIs, and six T20Is, steadily emerging as a promising seam-bowling all-rounder for India . He rose to prominence with his impressive performances for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL before earning his national call-up.

India’s recent ODI disappointment

India recently lost the ODI series against New Zealand 1-2 after suffering a heartbreaking defeat in the final match in Indore on Sunday, despite Virat Kohli scoring a century . The loss marked another disappointing result for the Indian team, but Rana’s growing presence in the squad offers hope for the future as India continues to build a strong pace-bowling unit across all formats.