Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth alleged that Harshit was picked for the ODI series because he was a “yes man” and for being Gambhir’s favourite. He had also criticised his selection for the Asia Cup tournament last month. Ashwin, also speaking on his YouTube channel, said that he wasn’t entirely sure why Rana is being selected for every format.

“It’s shameful that someone wanting to run his YouTube channel is targeting a 23-year-old. If you want to target me, do it. I can handle it, but trolling a 23-year-old kid for YouTube views is shameful,” said Gambhir, who turned 44 on Tuesday, in the post-match press conference. “His (Rana’s) father is not a selector. He has played cricket on his own merit. Don’t target these young boys.”

The criticism regarding Harshit’s selection was not limited to just experts. Social media was flooded with memes targeting the Delhi speedster shortly after he was picked for the Australia tour.

Gambhir, addressing the issue to the larger audience, urged fans and the media to act responsibly and reminded them that everyone shares a moral duty to support Indian cricket rather than tear it down.

“Social media trolling of Harshit is just not right, and imagine the mindset. Anyone’s kid will play cricket, and this is not acceptable. Everyone has a moral responsibility to make sure India’s cricket does well,” he said.

Contrary to Gambhir’s claim, the reaction over Harshit’s selection largely stemmed from his poor performance in India colours thus far. The 23-year-old was fast-tracked into the national team after a stunning show in the IPL 2024, under Gambhir’s mentorship at Kolkata Knight Riders, and later made his debut in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he played just two matches, picking four wickets at 50.70. His bowling returns in white-ball cricket haven’t been decent either. In fact, during the last IPL season, his economy rate exceeded 10, yet he was selected for the Asia Cup, where he played just two matches, taking only two wickets for 79 runs.