- By Namrata Vijay
- Fri, 17 Oct 2025 03:34 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
IND vs AUS: The discussion around star fast bowler Harshit Rana's selection in India's ODI team for the series against Australia hasn't died down. Ever since he has been included in the series against Australia, both he and the head coach have been slammed constantly. Ex-India cricketer Kris Srikkanth had discussed the whole selection and accused Rana of being a constant yes man to Gambhir. Gambhir, then, gave a perfect back to Srikkanth when he attended the post-match press conference of the 2nd Test against West Indies.
Gambhir didn't hold himself back and said that people should be cautious and shouldn't say anything just for more YouTube views. R Ashwin has now reacted to the same and said that there should be no place for personal attack in this sport.
Ashwin, who too had earlier slammed Rana's position on the back of his performances in IPL 2024, resonated with Gambhir's sentiments and said that criticism should be more merited and not just for the sake of saying it.
Also Read: Travis Head Wants Rohit-Virat To Play In 2027 ODI World Cup, Says, 'They Have Been Awesome...'
“I have always reiterated that no player should be attacked below the belt. When the attack becomes too personal, the genre changes. I would like to talk about Sanjay Manjrekar, who has criticized me throughout my career. But I have never held any grudge against him. What they say might be right or wrong, as long as the criticism doesn't get personal, I am fine with it,” Ashwin was quoted as saying on his YouTube channel.
“Assume Harshit sees the reel in which he is being harshly criticized, and he is about to play a match for India, wouldn't he be shattered by this? And if his parents and friends see it, what will be their mindset? We can definitely criticize their skill, their style of cricket, and the trade that they are plying. But it shouldn't get personal. It may be funny once or twice, but it shouldn't be a running theme. The reason they are doing this is that there is an audience for it. Negativity sells these days. They sell whatever is in demand. We should avoid consuming such content,” he said.
Curious case of Harshit Rana
After he made his debut in IPL 2024, there was a debate about his close relationship with Gambhir. He was part of the T20I team and still didn't make his debut till he was retained by KKR as an uncapped player.
He then made his debut in all three formats. But the debate became intense after he was picked in India's ODI team for Australia.
Ashwin revealed that he does sympathize with Rana, as the social media trolling can affect anyone.
“Everyone's targeting Harshit Rana left, right, and center. Let me ask you one thing: if the same Harshit performs well next year, will the same people put him on the same pedestal and celebrate him?” he said.
"I am certainly disappointed. My request through this channel has always been to see cricket as cricket. Don't buy or consume trash talk because that well could be your friend, your family, your son, your brother, your sister," he concluded.