The pros and cons behind Harshit Rana’s selection for the Australia tour

Ever since India’s selectors announced the limited-overs squads for the Australian tour, Harshit Rana finding a place in both ODI and T20I set-ups has come under scrutiny. More importantly, Gautam Gambhir’s name has been linked up with the fast bowler’s selection across formats. And there have been a spate of memes on social media platforms with the head coach and Harshit as the main protagonists. 

So, is it right to believe that Gambhir is biased towards a certain player? Let’s examine what might be the thought process behind Rana’s selection. For that, you have to scroll through the selectors’ picks as far as fringe fast bowlers are concerned over the last one year. Be it Prasidh Krishna, Harshit, Mayank Yadav or Avesh Khan, the selection panel is clearly keeping an eye on tall fast bowlers ahead of important assignments like the 2027 World Cup and India’s next Test tour of South Africa. 

Even if you pore through the selections for India A set-ups, a clear pattern is visible. Gurjapneet Singh and Gurnoor Brar, both standing at around 6 ‘4″, have been fast-tracked. Both don’t have much experience to fall back on in domestic cricket.

To be fair to Gambhir and the selectors, it is prudent to focus on tall, hit-the deck pace bowlers ahead of tours to South Africa. Alongside his ability to extract bounce, Harshit also has some potential with the bat down the order. Incidentally, the Indian coaching staff seem very keen to add depth to the batting line-up. It has to be observed, however, that Harshit’s potential hasn’t exactly translated into runs in the abridged versions of the game. 

To throw in a word of caution, despite having enough promise, Harshit’s lack of control is a cause for worry. In the 2025 IPL, his economy rate was over 10, with the pace bowler offering width on many occasions. Even in the 10 games that Harshit has played for India, his economy rate doesn’t make for good reading. 

A logical answer to Harshit’s selection would be that he has been picked more on promise than having enough credit in the bank. In that context, every fan has a right to question Harshit securing a place across formats. However, it doesn’t seem as if Gambhir and co. are giving preferential treatment to just one player. It is a case of having a certain thought process. Whether that is right or wrong can be debated until the cows come home.