'Gautam Gambhir is right' - Rajeev Shukla defends Harshit Rana's place in Indian team

Published - 14 Oct 2025, 15:33 IST | Updated - 14 Oct 2025, 15:53 IST

The selection of fast bowler Harshit Rana in the Indian team has been surrounded by controversies, with social media users claiming him to be a first pick in the side even before the team sheet is prepared because of his close ties with Gautam Gambhir, the head coach. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)'s vice president Rajeev Shukla has said that the selection is completely fair.

Shukla has claimed that the public should also take a responsible call to make any complaints or criticism on the team selection process. Adding to Gambhir's comments where he claimed that Rana deservedly earned a place in the national side, Shukla seconded the opinion, adding that unnecessary trolling on the internet can bring the morale of a player done.

"Gautam Gambhir is right. If someone has any complaints about the players, then it should be done responsibly. This will bring the players' morale down. It is the job of the team to select players. So, before you say anything about the players, you should think about how much responsibility you should take," Shukla was quoted as saying by Tribune India.

Gambhir comes in defence of Harshit Rana's squad selection

These comments came after India's resounding 2–0 series win against the West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi. The Shubman Gill-led side had already won the first game in Ahmedabad by an innings and 140 runs, and came into the New Delhi contest with an unassailable lead in the two-match series. On the fifth day of the second and final match, India chased down a modest 58-run total to seal a comfortable victory.

The team will next be travelling to Australia for a multi-format white-ball series against the Mitchell Marsh-led side, comprising three One-Day Internationals and five T20Is. Rana, who is a part of both the squads, will be expected to play a key role in the 50-overs squad, as names like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Mohammed Shami have been rested.

India ODI squad: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana

India T20I squad: Suryakumar Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Jitesh Sharma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana