Raipur witnessed another chapter in the burgeoning rivalry between Indian pacer Harshit Rana and New Zealand opener Devon Conway as Rana once again dismissed Conway, this time in the second ODI of the series. This dismissal continues Rana's dominance over the Kiwi batsman, marking the second consecutive time he has claimed Conway's wicket in the ongoing ODI series.

The dismissal occurred during New Zealand's chase of 285. Conway, along with Henry Nicholls, had started cautiously, reaching 22/0 in five overs. Introduced into the attack in the sixth over, Rana provided the breakthrough India desperately needed. He bowled a sharp inswinger that beat Conway's bat and crashed into the stumps. The off stump went flying, and Conway departed for 16 off 21 balls, including three fours. This dismissal was a "textbook fast-bowler's dismissal".

Rana's success against Conway isn't limited to this match. In the first ODI of the series at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara on January 11, 2026, Rana dismissed Conway for 56. The delivery was a 142.2 kmph full-length ball that jagged back in, resulting in an inside edge that crashed into the leg stump. In the third and final ODI, Rana dismissed Conway for just five runs. Rana bowled a back-of-a-length delivery around the off-stump that straightened slightly, confusing Conway who edged the ball to Rohit Sharma at slip.

Notably, Rana has dismissed Conway in each of the three games of the series. In their ODI encounters, Conway has managed to score only 18 runs off 23 balls against Rana, with 14 of those deliveries being dot balls. Furthermore, six of Rana's seven powerplay wickets in ODIs have been left-handed batters.

Gautam Gambhir, the India coach, has publicly defended Rana amid criticism. After the dismissal in the second ODI, cameras showed Gambhir applauding, a sign of satisfaction in Rana's performance.