BCCI stands firmly beside Gautam Gambhir on Harshit Rana controversy; warns Srikkanth

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Amid growing debate over Harshit Rana's selection for India's upcoming ODI series in Australia, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla has thrown his weight behind head coach Gautam Gambhir, urging restraint and responsibility from critics and former players.

The 23-year-old fast bowler, named in India's squad last week by chief selector Ajit Agarkar, has faced a wave of scrutiny, with some alleging that his presence in multiple formats is linked more to his IPL connection with Gambhir at Kolkata Knight Riders than to form.

Among the detractors, former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth remarked that Harshit seemed like "one permanent member in the team," hinting at selection bias, particularly after seasoned pacer Mohammad Shami - joint-highest wicket-taker in the Champions Trophy - was excluded from the touring party.

Following India's commanding ODI series sweep over the West Indies on Tuesday, Gambhir confronted the criticism directly, describing the personal targeting of Rana as unacceptable. "It's a little shameful that you are targeting a 23-year-old personally," Gambhir said in the post-match press conference. "You can criticise performances - that's your right - but targeting an individual for clicks or to run your YouTube channel is unfair. Indian cricket doesn't belong to me or the players in that dressing room; it belongs to every Indian who wants the team to do well."

Supporting Gambhir's comments, Rajeev Shukla appealed for measured public discourse, emphasizing that irresponsible remarks could damage a young player's confidence. "Gautam Gambhir is right. If someone has any complaints about the players, then it should be done responsibly," Shukla told ANI.

"Irresponsible remarks bring the players' morale down. It is the team's job to select players, and before saying anything about them, people should think about how much responsibility their words carry," he added.

As the Australia series beckons, it will be an opportunity for Harshit Rana to silence his critics. The KKR pacer has so far played 2 Tests, 5 ODIs and 3 T20Is for India, with 19 wickets to his name across the formats.