India coach Gautam Gambhir Defends Harshit Rana's Selection, Slams Kris Srikkanth's Allegations as 'Shameful'
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has hit back at former captain Kris Srikkanth's allegations that Harshit Rana, a 23-year-old pace bowler, was selected for the ODI squad to tour Australia due to his role as a 'yes man'. Gambhir, speaking after India's 2-0 series win over the West Indies, expressed his disapproval of Srikkanth's comments, emphasizing the unfairness of targeting a young player.
'It's a little shameful. It's unfair to target a 23-year-old kid for your YouTube channel,' Gambhir said. 'His father is not an ex-cricketer or an NRI. He's played cricket independently, and he'll continue to do so. Targeting someone individually is not fair.'
Gambhir also addressed the potential impact of Srikkanth's comments on Rana's mindset, warning that anyone could be targeted in the future. 'Imagine the mindset of a 23-year-old kid,' he said. 'In the future, someone might target your kid too. Anyone can target anyone. At least realize he's a 23-year-old kid.'
Srikkanth's criticism stems from Rana's close association with Gambhir during their time with the IPL side Kolkata Knight Riders. 'He's not a 33-year-old kid,' Gambhir noted. 'You can criticize me, but a 23-year-old boy is a 23-year-old boy. That's not acceptable.'
Gambhir emphasized the importance of performance in cricket, stating that criticism should be directed at performance, not at the individual. 'Indian cricket belongs to all of us, not just those in the dressing room,' he said. 'It belongs to every Indian who wants it to succeed. Criticize on performance, not on nationality.'
Rana, who has played two Tests, five ODIs, and three T20 Internationals since Gambhir's appointment, recently performed well in an Asia Cup match that India won. The three-match ODI series against Australia begins on October 19.
