Shashi Tharoor's 'Awful' Harshit Rana Dig At Ajit Agarkar Backfires; Internet Schools Him For Massive Blunder

With the Indian team continuing to keep their faith in young fast bowler Harshit Rana while keeping a specialist spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, on the bench, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has taken a dig at the selection committee for their “absurd” and “awful” call while expressing his frustration on X (formerly Twitter).

However, Tharoor has inadvertently ended up proving that the decision to keep Rana in the playing XI ahead of Kuldeep was indeed the right call.

How?

Tharoor cited how Xavier Bartlett, Australia’s right-arm pacer, picked up two wickets in his first over, including that of Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli, which “shows” the “idiocy” of the Indian selectors’ decision.

It appears Tharoor may have confused Bartlett with his namesake, Xavier

Doherty, a former Australia left-arm spinner, in trying to prove Rana’s inclusion wasn’t the right decision for the 2nd ODI between India and Australia at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.

“So Xavier Bartlett took just four balls to show the Indian selectors the idiocy of their decision to leave out the most potent match-winner in their squad, @imkuldeep18, in favour of a journeyman pacer like Rana. It was wrong to omit Kuldeep in England & it is absurd not to pick him in Adelaide. Awful!” Tharoor posted.

So Xavier Bartlett took just four balls to show the Indian selectors the idiocy of their decision to leave out the most potent match-winner in their squad, @imkuldeep18, in favour of a journeyman pacer like Rana. It was wrong to omit Kuldeep in England & it is absurd not to pick…

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 23, 2025

Users on social media were quick to spot the faux pas.

Xavier barlett is a fast bowler

Kuldeep is a chinaman

What did you have for drinks last night Shashi, the hangover seems to have kicked in.

— Rohit Mundra (@RohitMu91645791) October 23, 2025

Australia in fact is also playing four pace bowlers.

India is doing the same.

Xavier Bartlett is not a spinner. Kuldeep Yadav is, and Axar Patel is already in the squad as a spinner who will bowl 10 overs along side Washington Sundar.

Both the spinners are accomplished batsmen…

— Amrit Pradhan (@amritpradhan63) October 23, 2025

Bartlett isn’t a spinner. That’s Xavier Doherty.

— Ashutosh Joshi (@JoshiAsh) October 23, 2025

India trail Australia 0-1 in the three-match ODI series having lost the opener in Perth by seven wickets.