Gautam Gambhir’s influence on Harshit Rana’s KKR selection questioned, Ajit Agarkar SHARES his thoughts

Harshit Rana and Gautam Gambhir worked together at Kolkata Knight Riders during the IPL 2024 season, where Gambhir coached the pacer.

New Delhi: As the Indian cricket team watches Australia fight back to level the 5-match Test series 1-1 after two games, there will inevitably be questions raised about certain selection decisions. Harshit Rana, who impressed in the Perth Test, was expected to carry his good form into the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. However, the pacer conceded 86 runs in just 16 overs during the first innings, and was left unused in the second innings, where Australia needed just 19 runs to claim victory.

When Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy were selected for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, many questioned the choice of the inexperienced duo. According to a report by Indian Express, their inclusion was largely due to head coach Gautam Gambhir’s recommendation. Gambhir, confident in the young players’ potential, pushed for their selection in the squad for the series in Australia. His decision was also supported by selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar, who endorsed the move.

Both Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy performed admirably in the series opener against Australia. Harshit took 4 wickets in total, showcasing his skill with the ball. Meanwhile, Reddy was one of the top run-scorers for the team, contributing solid innings of 41 and 38 in the two matches.

Critics softened their stance, with doubts turning into praise as both Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy justified the faith head coach Gautam Gambhir had placed in them. However, it wasn’t just Gambhir who deserves credit for the bold decision. Reports suggest that Ajit Agarkar, the selection committee chairman, also took a firm stance, fully supporting Gambhir’s choice.

However, the Adelaide Test hasn’t gone as planned for Harshit Rana, while Nitish Kumar Reddy stood out as the only bright spot for the tourists in an otherwise disappointing contest against Australia.

Questions were raised when Harshit Rana received backing from Gautam Gambhir, who had also coached the pacer during their time together at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2024 IPL season.

Even India captain Rohit Sharma defended Harshit Rana’s selection for the pink-ball Test, stating that a player who hasn’t done anything wrong shouldn’t be dropped.

“Rana ne kuch galat nahin kiya tha first Test match mein. Unhone jo bhi kiya, kaafi accha kiya. Crucial breakthroughs jab team ko chahiye they unhone dilaaya. Main believe karta hoon ki kisi ne kuch galat nahin kiya hai toh bina kisi reason ke bahar nahin kiya jaa sakta hai aur karna bhi nahin chahiye. (Rana didn’t do anything wrong in the first Test and did well there. Whenever the team needed crucial breakthroughs, he provided it. I feel if a player hasn’t done anything wrong, he shouldn’t be dropped.),” Rohit said in the post-match press conference on Sunday.

Was the KKR connection the only reason behind Harshit Rana’s selection? That can’t be the case, as Nitish Kumar Reddy’s inclusion was also based on the promise he showed in the IPL and other domestic matches, rather than just his First-Class cricket statistics.