The inclusion of fast bowler Harshit Rana in the Indian team has elicited controversy with some people in the social media claiming that he was included in the team due to his affiliation with the head coach Gautam Gambhir. BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla however refuted these assertions saying the decision was just and performance based.
Rajeev Shukla urged people to act responsibly before criticizing the selection process. Supporting Gambhir’s view, he said Rana earned his place through consistent efforts and talent. He also added that unnecessary trolling can hurt a player’s confidence and should be avoided.
“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.
India secure dominant victory over West Indies in New Delhi Test
These are the statements following a West Indies loss to India in a 2 goal-0 test series at the Arun Jaitley stadium in New Delhi. India had already smashed the visitors on the first Test at Ahmedabad by an innings and 140 runs under the leadership of Shubman Gill. The hosts easily pursued a modest target of 58 runs on the fifth day to win the clean sweep in the last match.
India will now go to Australia in a white-ball series comprising of three ODIs and five T 20I against the side of Mitchell Marsh. Harshit Rana who has been part of the two teams will have a key role to play in the ODI series, particularly when senior players such as Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Mohammed Shami have been given a rest.
