Former India chairman of selectors Krishnamachari Srikkanth lambasted the team management for the inclusion of Harshit Rana in the ODI squad for the Australia tour on Saturday.
Srikkanth sharply questioned the selectors for repeatedly changing the ODI squad, particularly pointing out the omission of Sanju Samson as back-up wicket-keeper, while including Harshit Rana, who debuted across formats in just four months since November 2024. Srikkanth argued that such changes create confusion and insecurity among players, highlighting Rana’s rapid rise as emblematic of inconsistent selection policies.
“Constant, unpredictable selections are confusing the players and even the public. One day, Yashasvi Jaiswal is in, the next, he’s out. The only fixture seems to be Harshit Rana, whose continuous selection is unexplained. This inconsistency undermines player confidence,” Srikkanth stated.
“You don’t pick some players even if they do well and take others even if they don’t. Best is to be like Harshit Rana and be a constant yes-man to Gambhir to be selected. You should start building towards the 2027 World Cup. But I feel they have not. If you pick Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy among the probabilities, then you can wave goodbye to the trophy,” an unfiltered Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
“Some players are overlooked despite strong performances, while others like Harshit Rana remain favored regardless of form. It seems following Gambhir is the only path to selection now. India should be building for the 2027 World Cup, but current choices—like picking Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy—signal we’re far from winning,” Srikkanth told his YouTube audience.
Rana made his Test debut during India’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour to Australia last year, picking up four wickets in two matches. He later made his ODI debut against England before featuring in the ODI Champions Trophy squad in the United Arab Emirates.
Rana had a forgettable Asia Cup, conceding 79 runs for two wickets in as many games. Srikkanth had also slammed the Delhi pacer after he ended up leaking 54 runs for a solitary wicket against Sri Lanka in the Super 4s. “Harshit Rana does too many filmy gimmicks. All these filmy reactions aren’t of any use, you’ve to actually bowl well. He also exhibits these dramatic reactions in the IPL. This is not a good attitude; it’s just showboating. He drives after the ball is already past him. Why dive after the goal has already been scored? Aggression is different, but showing so much at a young age is why he got punished today,” the former India captain had said.
