"His father is not an ex-chairman" - Gautam Gambhir lashes out at Kris Srikkanth post IND vs WI 2025 2nd Test over Harshit Rana's selection criticism

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Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir launched a scathing attack on former captain and selector Kris Srikkanth for his brutal criticisms of young pacer Harshit Rana. After the Indian T20Is and ODI squads for the upcoming Australian tour were announced, Srikkanth questioned the inclusion of Rana in both sides.

He also called the selection a case of Harshit being a favorite of Gambhir, dating back to their IPL 2024 days, when the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won the title.

"Harshit Rana is a permanent because he is Gautam Gambhir's favorite. He is always a certainty and the first name in the team sheet after Shubman Gill. Ask them to give a reason for retaining Harshit Rana. He is just a film cricketer full on antics. There is only one permanent member - Harshit Rana. Nobody knows why he is there in the team. Best is to be like Harshit Rana and be a constant yes-man to Gambhir to be selected," said Srikkanth on his YouTube channel.

When asked about Srikkanth's comments on Rana after the second Test against the West Indies, Gambhir said (via India Today):

"Look, it's a little shameful and I will be very honest with you. If you are criticising 23-year-olds to run your YouTube channel, which is unfair. His father is not an ex-chairman, or ex-cricketer or an NRI. He has played cricket on his own merit and he will continue to do so. Targeting individuals is not fair. Target people on their performance, and selectors are there for that job. If you say horrible things about a 23-year-old on social media, what does that do to his mindset?"

He continued:

"If your kid plays cricket tomorrow, imagine a scenario where he gets abused. He is a 23-year-old kid, and not 33. Criticise me, I can handle it, but he is a 23-year-old boy, so that is something not acceptable. There should be a moral responsibility towards Indian cricket and you should not do these things to help run your YouTube channel. This is not only in Harshit's case, this is for others in future also."

India's white-ball tour of Australia includes three ODIs and five Tests, starting with the former on October 19.

How has Harshit Rana fared for Team India across formats?

Coming off his excellent IPL 2024 season with the ball, Harshit Rana debuted for India in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia at the end of last year. The 23-year-old has played only two Tests and boasts an underwhelming average of over 50 with an economy of 4.51.

However, the youngster has fared better in the white-ball formats, with 10 wickets in five ODIs at an average of 20.70 and five wickets in three T20Is at an average of 22.40. Harshit was also part of the Indian squad that triumphed in the 2025 Champions Trophy in the UAE.

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Venkatesh Ravichandran

Venkatesh has been writing cricket news, listicle and feature articles for Sportskeeda for over a year. He loves cricket because of the diversity of the playing fields and its unparalleled nuances, which no other sport presents. He also enjoys the analytical and quantitative side of the sport, which originates from his MBA degree and 10 years of experience in the IT industry in companies like Infosys, Atos and TCS.

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He started watching cricket in the late 1990s, having been impressed with South Africa and New Zealand’s gentleman-like attitude. Domestically, he supports the Chennai Super Kings for their ability to bring the best out of their players owing to a friendly and conducive team environment.

He admires three cricketers the most – Brian Lara for his batting style, AB de Villiers for changing the paradigm of batting and MS Dhoni for his unique cerebral approach to field placings and batting. Along with cricket, Venkatesh also enjoys watching and playing tennis and basketball. In his free time, he finds pleasure in singing and watching movies and web series.

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