Team India's head coach Gautam Gambhir has come to the defence of young Indian pacer Harshit Rana, who has been a target of online trolling following his selection in the upcoming India vs. Australia white-ball series.
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India is set to tour Australia for 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is. Rana has been named in both squads, which caught people's attention, who questioned the basis of his selection.
What did Gautam Gambhir say about Harshit Rana?
Rana, the 23-year-old pacer from Delhi, has been a hot topic on social media, with fans questioning his place in the side. Furthermore, people have alleged that former KKR mentor Gambhir favoured Rana due to the Knight Riders connection.
In a strong statement after India's victory against the West Indies, Gambhir condemned the trollers, calling them shameful and irresponsible.
"It’s a little shameful that you are targeting a 23-year-old personally - Harshit’s father is not an ex-chairman. It is not fair that you target an individual. Social media trolling is just not right & imagine the mindset. Anyone’s kid will play cricket. Everyone has a moral responsibility to make sure India's cricket does well," Gambhir said.
Harshit is one of those players who has often had Gautam Gambhir's backing. The pacer emerged onto the scene soon after Gambhir took over the reins of India as head coach.
GAMBHIR ABOUT TROLLING HARSHIT RANA:
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 14, 2025
"It’s a little shameful that you are targeting a 23-year-old personally - Harshit’s father is not an ex-chairman. It is not fair that you target an individual. Social media trolling is just not right & imagine the mindset. Anyone’s kid will… pic.twitter.com/EcKIyCWkMU
Previously, Rana was suspiciously not picked for his T20I debut before the IPL 2025 mega auction. This allowed KKR to retain the pacer as an uncapped player, saving funds during the auction, and fans had alleged Gambhir put the franchise above the nation then.
The Delhi pacer, however, has enjoyed good performances for both his state and IPL teams. The 23-year-old averages 25 with the ball in the IPL, while his List A figures are decent as well
"Don’t say anything to run your YouTube channel - if you want, then target me, I can handle it, but leave that Kid alone & it's the same for all the young stars," added Gambhir.
Harshit Rana's career bowling stats
| Format | Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | Economy | BBI | 5W |
| Tests | 2 | 3 | 4 | 50.75 | 4.51 | 3/48 | 0 |
| ODIs | 5 | 5 | 10 | 20.70 | 5.69 | 3/31 | 0 |
| T20Is | 3 | 3 | 5 | 22.40 | 10.18 | 3/33 | 0 |
| List A | 21 | 21 | 35 | 22.85 | 5.65 | 4/17 | 0 |
| FC | 14 | 23 | 50 | 27.80 | 4.03 | 7/45 | 2 |
| IPL | 34 | 32 | 40 | 25.72 | 9.51 | 3/24 | 0 |
(Correct as of October 14, 2025)
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