India's cricket selection policies have come under sharp scrutiny again, with former chairman of selectors Krishnamachari Srikkanth openly condemning the team management for their puzzling decisions ahead of the Australia ODI series.
Srikkanth, speaking on his YouTube channel, described the selectors' constant chopping and changing as confusing for the players and damaging to their confidence.
He highlighted that Rana, who debuted across formats since November 2024 and was part of India's recent Asia Cup-winning squad, is the only "permanent member" in the ODI squad, despite unclear reasons for his continued selection.
"You don't pick some players even if they do well and take others even if they don't. Best is to be like Harshit Rana and be a constant
yes-man to Gambhir to be selected. You should start building towards the 2027 World Cup. But I feel they've not. If you pick Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy among the probabilities, then you can wave goodbye to the trophy," Srikkanth was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
He warned that if players like Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy remain in India's plans for the 2027 World Cup, the team's chances of winning would be bleak. The former opener also criticized Rana's lackluster performance in the Asia Cup, where he conceded 79 runs for two wickets in two matches, and described Rana's "filmy gimmicks" and showboating on the field, which he said hurt team morale.
Regarding the ODI squad for the Australia tour, Harshit Rana was selected as one of the four specialist pacers alongside prominent names, despite the omission of seasoned players like Mohammed Shami and Sanju Samson, the latter replaced by Dhruv Jurel as backup wicketkeeper, a move Srikkanth also questioned sharply.
Samson, who scored a century in his last ODI, was left out, reportedly due to positional considerations, but Srikkanth challenged this rationale, emphasizing the inconsistency and unfairness in selection policies.
"By making such selections constantly, they are confusing the players themselves. Even we aren't sure everyday what the selection will be. Suddenly Yashasvi Jaiswal is there and then next minute he won't be there. There is only one permanent member - Harshit Rana," the former India player added.
